


Con Te Partirò

by nuuuge



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood and Gore, Dystopia, Family, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-06-03 02:47:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 33,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19454743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nuuuge/pseuds/nuuuge
Summary: Hunters had never dared move into the forest Hongjoong and his coven lived in. Yet one day they were disturbed by a new coven and a whole load of trouble that seemed to come along with them.





	1. E I N S

**Author's Note:**

> mega self-indulgent! :) 
> 
> I decided to write this instead of studying for my final next week :3 
> 
> Leave some Kudos and Comments? I'll continue writing once my finals is over

Hongjoong was sitting outside on a large balcony, one leg hanging precariously off the side of the railing. He closed his eyes, enjoying the soft breeze against his cold skin, the moon shining on his light, making him look like some ethereal being from another planet. 

He relaxed and listened to the sounds of the wind rustling the large pine trees around the building. An owl hooted off in the distance, the sound echoing through the thick underbrush. Everything was serene and quiet, nature almost untouched, save for the house in the midst of it all. 

Hongjoong stretched, back cracking with the movement before he turned and jumped off the railing and onto the balcony floor. He closed his eyes humming along with the noises of his surrounding. He couldn’t help and enjoy his last few moments of silence. 

He knew one he walked through the large french doors he would be assaulted by noise and chaos. This single moment of isolation he had was far too fleeting, moving by quickly. Hongjoong wished he could grasp the quiet and use it as a blanket to curl into, but then he opened the door and was faced with the harsh reality that was his life. 

A shrill squeal bounced off the walls of the tiny room, a small frame hurtling towards the oldest, as though screaming meant his ‘sneak attack’ would somehow be efficient. Hongjoon was ready right away, taking a single step to the side. The squealing body let out a loud shout of fear as he realized he’d miscalculated and would end up on the floor face-first. 

Hongjoong managed to grab the screaming body by the back of his shirt, hauling him straight up, before he could ruin his cute face against the hardwood floor. 

“Wooyoung…” Hongjoong sighed, “You’re the least stealthy vampire I’ve ever witnessed.” Hongjoong groaned, “In the fifty years you’ve lived here you’ve never succeeded. This is why Yunho and Yeosang don’t bring you along when they hunt in the city.” 

Wooyoung let out a whine, arms crossed over his chest as he pouted at the oldest in their coven. Their leader and theoretical father figure. Hongjoong had been the one to find them all and decided to create a sort of makeshift family… at least as well as much of a family that a bunch of blood sucking vampires could create. 

Before Wooyoung could respond, another young vampire walked in. He was rubbing at his eyes, yawning. A large shirt hung off his frame, shoulder exposed. His sharp features wrinkled with sleep. 

“Why are you being so loud?” He asked pouting at the younger Vampire on the floor, “I finally got some good sleep and you ruined it.” 

Wooyoung widened his eyes rushing over to the slightly older boy. He wrapped his arms around the older, shouting about how sorry he was. Hongjoong watched with fascination as San went from annoyed to pleased within a few seconds, just because the younger was rubbing all over him. 

The moment was short lived though by a piercing scent of blood. It wasn’t normal blood either. Thes cent pungent, almost rotten, as though a Vampire had been pierced rather than an animal or a human. 

Hongjoong immediately became hypersensitive. His shoulders tensed, eyes glowing red at the scent. He hunched over, ready to run out and protect his coven. His eyes ran over the pair of young vampires, noticing how there were two more missing. This caused him to tense even more, looking almost feral at the mere thought of one of his being hurt. 

He couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t let those he swore to protect and swore to teach all about the lives of a vampire be hurt. There were still hunters which thought it was logical to hunt and kill Vampires like cattle. It was horrific, so much so that Vampires had chosen to live in complete seclusion, away from humans, for their own survival. Hunting vampires had become a game. 

“Where are Yeosang and Yunho?” Hongjoong shouted, voice deep, echoing in the room. 

San and Wooyoung quickly picked up on the scent as well, both becoming worried for their friends, their brothers. Never before had any of them been forced to interact with hunters. Hongjoong had made sure to shelter the four young Vampires. None of them knew how to deal with a potential idea… they’d never had the need, since they’d always been safe so far into the woods, so deep within nature. 

“They…” San frowned, throat clogging up due to fear, “Yunho was mad and ran out… he said he was hungry.” 

Hongjoong groaned in frustration, “Don’t leave the house until I’m back. I’m going to go look for them. Let’s just hope Yunho tripped over his own two feet again.” He growled and flitted out of view within that same second. 

Hongjoong hurried along the path, making sure not to stumble. He knew these woods better than anyone, having hidden out here for what felt like centuries. He’d brought the younger boys’ here ages ago and they knew where to hide and where to go when they were hurt. Hongjoong had showed them where the places to hide were. 

He rushed from nook and cranny, hoping to find Yunho and Yeosang curled up together, whining over a minor injury. He prayed as he rushed through the area that everything would be fine, that he wouldn’t find one of his boys’ in any harm. He would have to go completely feral if that was the case. He wasn’t going to let any hunters harm his coven. 

“Hyung!” Yeosang exclaimed, rushing out of a small cave, almost falling over when he reached Hongjoong, “There is hunters!”

Hongjoong stopped for a moment, taking in the other boys’ disheveled exterior. His shirt was dirty and even ripped at the arm, his pants not faring any better. His hair was caked with mud, as though he’d thrown himself onto the ground and crawled into the small space. 

“Are you okay though? Where were these hunters? Where is Yunho?” Hongjoong whispered, a sense of urgency gripping at him once more. 

“I think he’s still trying to wriggle out of the cave we hid in.” Yeosang explained, turning to look behind him where Yunho really was trying to squeeze through one of the smallest spaces possible. It was a wonder his broad shoulders had even made it inside in the first place. He seemed unhurt as well, a few scratches which would heal within moments. 

Where had that scent come from then? The only coven around was their own and they were all accounted for. None of them seemed to be hurt. The scent was still lingering, Hongjoong unable to relax one hundred percent, knowing someone was in his land, someone he didn’t know was walking around, attracting hunters. This person was endangering Hongjoong’s family and the vampire wasn’t okay with that. Not in the slightest. 

He paused, closing his eyes to take in all the sounds around, trying to locate the danger. He didn’t want to take any chances of running into hunters or whatever was attracting them. The pungent scent of vampire blood was heavy in the air, almost choking Hongjoong. 

“What is that scent?” Yunho had managed to get out of the cave, scratching the back of his head. He took a few steps towards the pair, sniffing the air. He looked around as though also trying to locate the source. 

Hongjoong sighed, unable to pick out where the source of the scent was or where the hunters were. They must have been rather skilled, to make it this far and to even hide their whereabouts. The longer they stayed out of their home, the more dangerous their situation could be. 

“Let’s head back… but we have to be careful.” Hongjoong sighed and turned ready to flit off as quick as possible. He was worried about San and Wooyoung all alone as well. They were rather young for Vampires and he didn’t want them alone while such a threat was looming over them. 

Anxiety pulled at Hongjoong, the oldest rushing through the woods, keeping to the thick underbrush, making sure not to leave a scent or sign of himself behind. He’d taught Yunho and Yeosang a while back and the pair seemed to have picked up the lessons well, both being skilled in the art of hunting. 

Hongjoong was about to step left when he sensed an unfamiliar presence coming from there. He quickly shuffled to the side, Yunho and Yeosang doing the same, following the oldest diligently. 

“Please…” The scent of blood overpowered all other senses Hongjoong had. He wanted to ignore this person, this vampire, but one glance and Hongjoong realized just how young he was.

Sure, he was broad and looked strong, but there was a childlike essence about him. He looked like he couldn’t be older than a few decades. The kid still had baby-fat for crying out loud, cute chubby cheeks and wide, scared eyes staring at the three older Vampires, as though hoping he could get help. 

Hongjoong wasn’t sure though. He’d heard of hunters using young Vampires as bait. In exchange those wouldn’t be killed right off the bat. This could have been a trap, and Hongjoong wasn’t going to let his coven fall right into the palm of some hunters hands. 

“You two…” He turned to the younger boys, “Go back and stay with Wooyoung and San.” He whispered, making sure the odd smelling Vamp across couldn’t hear them. He didn’t want to let the hunters know there were more of them… just in case this child was nothing more than bait. 

“Hyung…” Yunho bit his lip, “you can’t go alone.” 

Hongjoong sighed, “I can take care of myself. Trust me. I’ll come back even if this is a trap.” He smirked, “But I need you to take care of the others.” 

The boy across seemed to get antsy. He shuffled from side to side, muttering words here and there, hands clasped together in desperation, “Please… please help!” He almost shouted, but held himself back, as though not wanting to draw attention to himself. 

“I’ll follow you. Leave them alone.” Hongjoong took a step towards the young Vampire who nodded, clutching at his side before turning and rushing away without another second. 

“Makre sure Wooyoung and San are alright.” Was all Hongjoong told the other two before following the strange Vampire. He hoped he wouldn’t fall right into a trap, but he’d escaped hunters before. He’d been alive long enough to have lived through the worst of the Vampire-hunts. He figured he’d escape this easily once more. Hongjoong was prepared for anything. 

What he wasn’t prepared for though was this youngling, a mere child, to lead him to a small hollowed out hill where another Vampire was waiting. The scent of blood the only thing Hongjoong was able to take in. 

Before him was a thin Vampire, brows knitted together in pain. He had a hand clutching at his side, a bright red dagger sticking out, blood spilling from around the harmful device. Hongjoong could tell the other was in pain. He knew this wasn’t good and this was not a trap, but rather an actual cry for help from the fledgeling. 

“Seonghwa-hyung!” The broad boy whispered, tears welling in the corners of his eyes. Hongjoong could tell the young boy was trying to stay strong, especially around the clearly hurt older Vampire. Hongjoong could see affection and love, almost like he felt for his own coven between the pair. He could feel their desperation. He knew the young Vampire just wanted the other to be alright. 

“Mingi…? Where…?” The older whispered, eyes squinting at the boy and then turning to Hongjoong. His frame deflated when he realized the other wasn’t who he had hoped. 

This wasn’t good. This Vampire was badly injured. Hongjoong knew he had the tools in their home to patch him up and have him heal, but with hunters still out in the open it seemed reckless and far too dangerous to go and move this hurt Vampire. The situation was precarious and difficult. There didn’t seem to be a right answer for Hongjoong. 

“Mingi-hyung… he still isn’t back. I don’t know where he went.” The young boy let a few tears leak down his cheeks, thin lines showing on his dirty face. His frame shook as he leaned closer to the hurt Vampire. 

The three stopped dead in their tracks, all holding their breath as the sound of shots echoed in the silence of a dark night. Another shot whipped through the air, the younger flinching without making any noise, eyes wide. He looked out, biting his lip. 

Hongjoong followed his gaze, realizing that a third of their group was out there… probably being hunted, probably having been found. 

The hurt Vampire sat up, hissing. He looked tired and defeated, but somehow gained enough strength to try and stand. Hongjoong reached out and grabbed the other, forcing him back down before he could aggravate the injury further. 

“Are you insane?” He growled, “Sit down and think about what is going on out there. You can’t run, let alone defend yourself.” 

“Mingi-hyung and I got separated… the hunters showed up and hyung… he said he’d distract them while I found help.” The young vampire let out a sob, “I’m sorry… it’s my fault.” 

Hongjoong didn’t know what to do. He had a crying fledgeling to deal with and a severely injured Vampire as well who seemed to want to run out to his death at the mere thought of his friend being out there and being hunted down. What was Hongjoong supposed to do? 

“Go save Mingi…” The weak Vampire on the floor whispered, sweat beads building on his forehead. He looked to Hongjoong, “just… keep Mingi and Jongho safe.” 

The young Vampire shook his head, curling on the floor close to the older, “Don’t leave… Seonghwa-hyung please. Mingi-hyung and I need you…” 

Seonghwa moved his hand weakly to the young Vampire, running his fingers through the others hair. A motherly gesture, and Hongjoong finally realized that this Vampire was their mother figure. He was the one taking care of this fledgeling and whoever was still out there. The young Vampire wouldn’t be easy to move without the weak Vampire, nearly impossible even. Once a bond between Vampire’s was built and strong, which it really seemed to be between these two, it was nearly impossible to separate them. 

Hongjoong thought about the situation at hand and what would be the easiest thing to do. He knew he had to somehow help both of them and potentially a third Vampire lost in the vast wilderness out there being chased by hunters. 

“Okay… I think those shots were pretty far from here.” Hongjoong sighed, “I’ll bring you to my coven and then we can go find this Mingi alright? We cannot stay here.” The older Vampire decided. He stood up, pulling the injured, taller, Vampire with him. The young boy wiped his eyes and helped pull Seonghwa out of their hiding place. 

It seemed like the injured Vampire wanted to protest but Hongjoong had somehow managed to pull the other onto his back. The other was taller, but curled close to Hongjoong, letting out a loud groan, hissing in pain. Hongjoong ignored the stench of rotting blood, ignored the others cries of anguish as he began to run. 

His sweaty hands were almost giving out, but somehow the young vampire, Jongho, noticed and rushed forward, helping Hongjoong with the dead weight of the injured Vampire. Hongjoong couldn’t move as quick as he wished, not with an injured Vampire on his back, and it seemed Jongho wasn’t at full strength either, limping behind. 

The older also had to keep an eye out, hoping that the hunters were still far enough away. He had to get to their home, had to get Seonghwa to the others. Yeosang was pretty good with medicine and tended to be helpful whenever Wooyoung or San got a bit too excited and ended up hurting themselves, or one another. 

Never before would the younger have seen something like this though. Hongjoong just had to have faith in his coven and hope that Yeosang and Yunho would somehow be able to help. Hongjoong already dreaded having to go out once more and look for the third Vampire. But he couldn’t abandon him. 

He knew the pain the other would go through. He had seen friends be killed and tortured. Hell, he’d been tortured himself. He’d been abused and chased, all for the fun of the hunt. It was nothing but a game, a game where the human felt powerful. Hongjoong didn’t want anyone else to go through something like that. Nobody deserved such terror and pain. 

They managed to sneak all the way to the peaceful house. The door bursting open and four worried Vampires rushing out. 

Hongjoong ignored them and ran inside, dropping the hurt Vampire onto the couch before collapsing onto the hardwood floor, sweat glistening and running down his back. He shuddered, taking a few deep breaths. The scent of blood and gore almost too much, making the older gag. 

Jongho also ran inside, collapsing onto the other end of the couch, fingers running through Seonghwa’s hair, needing the constant contact to feel somewhat comforted, even if the older couldn’t reciprocate the touch at all. 

The other four quickly locked the door, rushing to the living room, helping Hongjoong up, Yunho running into the kitchen to grab a bag of blood for their oldest to drink. Yeosang right away moved to the new pair, his eyes scanning them, gaze landing on the dagger sticking out of Seonghwa. He winced, but moved closer, the need to nurse the other back to health almost overwhelming. 

“Mingi-hyung… we need to find Mingi-hyung!” Jongho exclaimed, standing up and wincing a little, his side clearly in worse condition than he’d let on. 

Yunho returned with a bag of blood, handing it to Hongjoong who took it, whispering his thanks and then gulping it down as quick as he could. He shuddered, the taste wonderful down his dry throat. It seemed as though energy just flowed through him as he drank. 

“You stay here.” Hongjoong told the youngest, “You’re in no condition and you’ll just get in the way.” He turned to Yunho, “Yunho, watch them all and protect them if need be. I have to look for one more of their coven.” 

Yunho was about to protest, Hongjoong could tell the tall, usually laid back and happy Vampire, wasn’t happy with this situation. Hongjoong wasn’t either but he had to at least try and see if the last one was still alive. He had to give Jongho and Seonghwa closure. 

“You’re in charge while I’m gone.” Hongjoong stated, eyes dark. 

He turned and flitted out of the room, rushing by the forest. He couldn’t trust his nose any longer since the stench of Seonghwa and his wounds seemed to clog up his whole mind, but he could still remember where the shots had come from. The general area, far closer to society than Hongjoong had ventured in a long time. 

He knew it was dangerous, going so far from his home, leaving Yunho with Vampires he didn’t know… it was all a big risk. But he could tell Jongho was earnest. He didn’t mean them harm. The fear in the young Vampire’s eyes whenever he asked about this ‘Mingi’ and the way he gravitated towards the older Vampire… it was all too real and far too painful. 

Hongjoong stopped dead in his tracks, swiftly moving up a tree, hiding in the thick of the leaves. Seconds later humans rushed by. Three men, all tall and broad shouldered. They were equipped with machetes and daggers. One of them chuckled darkly, saying something about how fun their hunt was. How they knew they would find their bitch soon. 

Hongjoong shuddered in disgust. Those men were laughing. They were enjoying this torture. As though harming another being, maybe not a living being, but a being on their planet nonetheless, seemed to be something they could just enjoy and have fun with. 

Hongjoong stayed still, unable to move while those guys continued down their path, hacking at the long grass and bushes, not even bothering to see if anyone or anything was hiding in the trees. Hongjoong could have easily jumped down and snapped their necks, but he was afraid that they had any sort of backup. He didn’t know how large of a party of hunters were out there looking for this coven of three. 

How did those three even attract hunters? 

Once Hongjoong felt like the coast was clear, he continued on his way, eyes scanning the dark, listening for any noises. His hearing was far better than that of a mere human. Drinking blood did have some perks in the end, but this Mingi was either amazing at hiding or already dead. 

Hongjoong didn’t even want to think about the last option. He didn’t want to return with bad news. The injured Vampire didn’t need that stress and Jongho seemed to be already on the edge of sanity due to this agonizing situation. Putting a child through something like this was truly disgusting… 

Hongjoong felt a sense of regret. A single moment run through him where he thought about how he should have jumped those three hunters and ended their lives for what they’d done to this coven… the mess they brought upon Hongjoong and his own family as well. 

Another sound and Hongjoong was hiding once more. Only this time he wasn’t faced with hunters, but rather their prey. 

Hongjoong recognized the other right away. He was tall, shoulders wide, hips tiny. Stench of rotting blood overpowered everything once more. Blood was running down the others face from a deep cut. His once white shirt was stained red and brown due to his injuries. He looked pale and weak. Hongjoong had found his target. 

“Mingi!” Hongjoong hissed. 

The Vampire, clearly younger than Hongjoong, maybe around the same age as Wooyoung, perked at the sound of his name. Hongjoong was about to move forward when the same group of hunters the Vampire had seen earlier also came into the area. 

Hongjoong was still hidden, pressing himself to the low ground, almost disappearing into the hole he’d been hiding in. He continued to watch though as Mingi seemed to panic and move away from the men, only to stumble and almost fall. The young Vampire looked exhausted. He was overwhelmed, fear evident on his face. 

Hongjoong figured that he’d used up all his adrenaline and power to run and hide for as long as he had. The older didn’t know how much time had passed but it seemed that the sun was coming up soon… He’d been peacefully enjoying nature only a few hours ago and now he was watching how some hunters were closing in on another Vampire, victorious grins on their faces as they continued to call names towards the tall and frightened boy. 

“We finally found you… you little bitch are hard to find.” The largest of the three grinned. He was broad and full of muscle, not an ounce of fat on him. His neck was thick, connecting a small looking head and a huge upper body. A tattoo on his neck made him look all the more unpleasant. 

“Should we just kill him?” Another one asked? He had dyed red hair, eyes small and mouth wide. He seemed to continuously glare at the exhausted Vampire before him. 

“Now… that isn’t fun.” The third guy, the shortest and smallest sighed holding up a knife and grinning from ear to ear. Hongjoong could make out a row of gold along his teeth, as though he was wearing something over them to show off his wealth. 

The Vampire keened and curled up on the floor, trying to protect himself. He was crying, completely exhausted and unable to defend himself any longer. His lanky frame was shaking and he seemed  _ tiny _ in that very moment. Like he didn’t know what else he could do. 

The hunter with the gold teeth moved forward. His friends stayed back both watching with smug expressions as their friend grabbed Mingi by his short dark hair, tugging at the strands. He quickly grabbed one of the many daggers and without a second thought rammed it into the Vampire’s eye. 

Mingi let out a high pitched screech. Hongjoong flinched back at the sound. He felt a phantom pain scratch behind his right eye at the mere sight of the hunter pulling back, blood dripping down the blade, a sizzling sound being drowned out by the shrill noises the Vampire was making, curling away, but unable to move from the others hold. 

Hongjoong wanted to rush over, wanted to free the other, but the hunters would follow them. It seemed they had their hearts set on capturing and torturing a vampire, and that vampire just happened to be Mingi… Hongjoong couldn’t act rash, even if he wished he could, but he had two injured Vampires in his home, as well as his own family to think about. 

What happened next was completely out of the blue. Mingi was crying, curling away from the man. Then, in the blink of an eye he moved, hand reaching one of the blades the man had attached to his belt. The Vampire grabbed it, the hilt burning into his skin, clearly having been doused in holy water. Mingi ignored the pain and ripped the knife out, then thrusting it right into the humans’ stomach. 

The hunter hadn’t expected this last show of strength, stumbling backward, letting go of the exhausted Vampire and then collapsing onto the cold forest ground. 

The other two hunters let out perplexed noises before rushing to their dying friend. Neither paid Mingi any attention, concern for their brethren overshadowing their common sense. Never turn one's back to a vampire, no matter how injured or hurt they were. 

Hongjoong saw his chance and jumped out from his spot, using all his strength and speed. He rushed forward, quickly snapping the neck of the red-haired man and then doing the same to the large hunter. Two quick sickening snaps and everything was over. Death came far too quick than what either of those hunters deserved. They should have all burned at the stakes slowly and painfully, not these quick deaths. 

The injured Vampire let out a whimper, blood coming from the one injured eye. Hongjoong jumped to his side, pulling Mingi up, hoisting the tall Vampire over his shoulder. Hongjoong couldn’t help and groan at the weight, getting far too old for these types of kamikaze missions. Lugging around tall and injured Vampires wasn’t something he got to do too often. 

Since the three hunters all died, the Vampires would have to be far more careful. Hunters always had friends, which means people would come looking for them… which meant the woods weren’t as safe as they've been for the last hundred years or so. 

Mingi let out a groan, as Hongjoong carried him like a sack of potatoes, but there was no other way Hongjoong could have carried the injured boy. He rushed, as quick as he could, hoping he was almost at his final destination. 

It took far too long, the first rays of the sun hitting his skin, almost burning. Mingi let out another cry, far more sensitive to the sun due to his weakened state. His frame was shaking, almost throwing Hongjoong off kilter but he managed to get to his home. He rushed inside the darkened space, exhausted, dirty and sick to his stomach; but he made it. 

San was the first by his side, helping the oldest up. Mingi laid completely passed out on the floor, wounds dirty and bleeding, but Hongjoong didn’t have the energy to try and get the young Vampire up and onto the other couch the other couch they had. 

Thankfully Yunho was there, the tallest taking care of the hurt Vampire, picking him up and placing him softly on the extra spot. Yeosang quickly moved to look at the injuries, gasping at the new boys face, blood around his right eye where the hunter had decided to shank him. Hongjoong wasn’t sure if the Vampire could recover from such an attack, especially since they’d used holy blades. 

San and Wooyoung helped their father-figure up, either on his sides, letting Hongjoong put all his weight on them as they also went to the living room, Hongjoong collapsing onto the armchair. His eyes quickly moved to the Jongho and Seonghwa, the youngest curled up in a ball, hand clutching onto Seonghwa, while the older was also sleeping. Yeosang seemed to have done a good job of taking care of their injuries. 

“This is terrible…” Yunho gasped, voice watery with tears as he looked over the other boy and his injuries. Various cuts and bullet wounds littered his upper body, but the worst was his face. A cut right above his left eye and the completely gouged out right one… Hongjoong hadn’t seen anything like it in years. 

The oldest closed his eyes shaking his head at the injuries. He just hoped Mingi would make it through all this. That he hadn’t been too traumatized by all this. Hongjoong couldn’t help and remember friends who had been tortured and used, had run for their lives and never been the same afterwards. He knew people who had succumbed to the constant fear and suffering their minds forced upon them after such ordeals. 

Hongjoong couldn’t help but look over to Seonghwa and Jongho, the two sleeping softly, curled close and the older figured that with the help of his coven Mingi could make it through this… hell his own family was there as well since it wasn’t safe enough for any of them to walk around outside until the threat of hunters was over. 

Hongjoong leaned forward, head in his hands as he leaned his elbows on his knees, “I had to kill the hunters… Mingi got one and I had to kill the rest before they did any worse to him.” 

“You mean he managed to take one out in this state?” Yeosang gasped, respect and fear mirroring in his eyes as he looked towards the tall Vampire on their couch. 

“The hunter got too close… was too confident and well… he used the last strength he had to protect himself.” Hongjoong explained, “But now they’ll be coming and looking for their friends. We have to be extra careful.” Hongjoong told his coven, “No going out alone. Always tell me where you are. You have to be careful.” 

The four nodded silently, knowing that this was a serious issue. None of them were as old as Hongjoong. Hell even their combined ages could barely reach that of Hongjoong. Their leader had experience, he’d lived through the worst of it all… not even Wooyoung who liked to be reckless would go against the wishes of their leader in this situation. 

“Alright… it’s daytime… so we should all get some rest. Yeosang, I’ll help you patch him up as best as we can and then we all need to rest.” Hongjoong let out a groan, bones cracking as he got off the seat, stumbling towards the third oldest of their coven.

Yunho took San and Wooyoung by their hands, pulling the younger ones along and up the stairs. Hongjoong had a feeling he’d find the three curled up in his bed, but the thought comforted him. Having his coven close after such a rough night would be beneficial for them all. 

Yeosang and Hongjoong did what they could to help stop the bleeding, dabbing at the wounds. None were healing properly. Usually a Vampire managed to heal quickly, but those hunters had doused all their weapons in holy water. Hell, even the gunshots weren’t closing… probably due to some priest declaring the weapons holy… 

Hongjoong wished he could have made those men suffer. He could hear the crack of their necks echoing over and over, but the noise wasn’t satisfying at all. It was constantly overpowered by the scream of agony from the tall Vampire lying passed out on their couch. Hearing such a terrifying and painful sound wouldn’t leave Hongjoong’s mind for a long time. 

Eventually they finished with Mingi. Yeosang grabbed a blanket, wrapping it around the injured before helping Hongjoong up the steps. Just as the oldest had expected, the other three were tucked into his bed, Yunho in the middle with San and Wooyoung on either side of him, holding onto one another tightly. Yeosang joined them quickly as well, Hongjoong opting to take a shower before also going to bed. He knew that once they awoke they’d have to take care of the injured newcomers once more and make sure their wounds wouldn’t get even worse. 

The next evening came way too quickly, Yunho being the first to wake up. The tallest groaned and stretched, then moving to the living room downstairs to check on the three unknown Vampires in their midst. It wasn’t that Yunho didn’t trust them, he just wanted to make sure they were alright. 

The images of Hongjoong lugging them into their home, exhausted and powerless, the bodies drenched in blood… Yunho would never be able to forget. Those images would cloud his mind for ages to come, he was sure of that. 

The tall Vampire moved to the living room, letting out a gasp when he saw the last one to come sitting up, bandage around his eye. Memories of blood dripping from an awful wound caused Yunho to freeze, almost even gag. The older looked towards the injured Vampire, watching as he tried to get up only to wince at the movement and fall back onto the couch. 

He had short, dark hair, framing his face perfectly. Sharp features, thin eyes. He was tall with broad shouldered, but compared to Yunho, he looked rather fragile. He was thin, lanky. Yeosang must have thrown his shirt out the day before, because Yunho could make out each rib of the other Vampire. 

The older quickly turned around and rushed to the kitchen, getting some blood prepared for the other. He looked far too thin and his injuries didn’t help either. Yunho felt this need to protect and take care overwhelm him at the sight of the other tall Vampire. He’d never felt like this, even with Wooyoung and San, he hadn’t had this urge to rush to them and take care of them when they’d gotten hurt. 

He walked back into the room, moving towards the other Vampire. He wordlessly held out his favourite Star Wars mug for the injured Vampire. 

A single dark eye narrowed, glaring at the mug. Yunho could practically feel the gears turning in the boys’ head, trying to figure out the situation. Waking up in a new environment, having some stranger hand him a mug of blood. He would be suspicious too. 

“It’s not poisoned or anything.” Yunho chuckled, “That would be quite a waste after Hongjoong-hyung went through all that trouble of saving you.” 

The Vampire looked up at Yunho, eye searching him before he nodded thoughtfully and reached for the cup. His hands were shaking, weak from exhaustion and lack of proper food. Yunho didn’t completely let go of the cup, helping this strange Vampire drink, cupping his cheek softly, hoping not to be too intrusive. 

The blood was gone within seconds. 

“I’m Yunho… we found you and your coven yesterday in our territory!” The older explained, voice low and soft, “Your friends are just over on the other couch resting… you’ve all gone through a lot.” 

The Vampire only stared at Yunho. He didn’t blink, didn’t smile. No reaction at all. He was completely stoic, looking at Yunho, waiting for his words or next move. Eventually, when he realized Yunho didn’t have more to say, he looked around the older. Relief swept over his face when he saw Seonghwa and Jongho sleeping soundly on the couch. 

Yunho also turned and looked at the pair. 

Jongho was young. Anyone could tell. He hadn’t been turned for long. His dark chestnut hair framed his face, cheeks chubby and adorable. He was broad and seemed sturdier than Mingi. Sure, he wasn’t as tall, but even though he was younger he did seem stronger. 

The oldest of the three, Seonghwa, hard sharp features. A strong, straight nose, cheekbones which could cut diamonds. He was pale, dark hair strewn across his forehead making him look all the more pasty. He was lanky, elegant fingers twisted close to Jongho. 

The way those two were curled together really reminded Yunho of a mother and a child. He’d always seen Hongjoong as a father figure, an older brother even, but he’d never thought of him as his ‘vampire mother’... Yunho had read about the ‘mother’ of a coven and the stance they usually held… he’d never seen it before but looking at Jongho and Seonghwa seemed to open the taller boys’ eyes to the strength of a ‘mother’ in a coven. 

Yunho then turned to Mingi, the lanky Vampire desperately trying to stand up once more. He let out a hiss, Yunho reaching out to help the other get up. He knew that Mingi was desperate to feel the physical affection of Seonghwa. 

Yunho had felt the same the night before, hence why he and the others had gone to sleep with Hongjoong. Knowing their eldest was amongst them, was safe… it had calmed them all down. It had settled their nerves and Mingi must have had the same sense of urgency. 

Yunho wasn’t sure how Mingi managed to fit himself onto the small couch, but he somehow curled his legs together and hunched his shoulders to seem tiny. He moved close to Seonghwa without disturbing the other or falling off the couch. 

“Thank you…” The Vampire whispered before closing his single eye, the other hidden under bandages which Yeosang had put effort in the night before. 

“Get some more rest. You need to recover.” Yunho mumbled. He couldn’t stop himself from running his fingers through the shorter dark hair of the other Vampire. He admired the soft touch, even if it was caked with blood and dirt. It still felt velvety under his rough fingertips. 

“Thank you…” The sentence was repeated as Mingi drifted back to sleep. 

Yunho felt powerless. He hadn’t done anything. He couldn’t heal like Yeosang. He couldn’t fight like Hongjoong. All he’d done was babysit the younger Vampires. He’d been completely and utterly useless. He merely watched as Hongjoong carried these injured Vampires into their home. 

Yunho sighed and turned away from the living room, making his way to the kitchen. He wished he could have done more. Seeing those three Vampires, injured and scared out of their minds the night before had been truly frightening. 

Yunho had been ‘adopted’ by Hongjoong quite quickly. Hongjoong had sheltered Yunho, protected him from all those horrible truths. Yunho had never come face-to-face with the demons which were the hunters. He’d never even given them a second thought, since he’d almost always been at their little forest stronghold. He’d never had to worry about being found out. 

“How are they?” San walked into the room, rubbing at his eyes and yawning, “I saw the lanky one moved?” 

Yunho nodded, pulling a cup out for the younger Vampire and pouring him a glass of blood before doing the same for himself, leaning against the kitchen counter. 

“He woke up for a bit and I gave him something to eat and then helped him over. I think it’ll be a while before he’s back to full health.” Yunho explained. 

San nodded, looking questioningly at the living room. Curiosity was mirrored in his expression, eyes raking over the sleeping coven of three, as though he was trying to figure out their dynamic. Yunho felt like San could figure it out quite quickly. He often saw patterns before anyone else. He was also good with emotions. 

“Thankfully Yeosang is good with healing…” San muttered, “Otherwise those guys are toast.” 

Yunho couldn’t help and chuckle at the younger, giggling into his cup of blood, “Imagine Wooyoung trying to bandage them up.” 

San also smirked at the mere thought, “They’d be mummies.” 

Their moment was interrupted by Jongho stirring in his spot. The young Vampire blinked, eyes raking over Seonghwa before moving towards Mingi. He gasped and reached over. His hands were shaking as he touched the other softly, the tips of his fingers brushing over the tall Vampire's exposed skin. 

San cooed at the other, resting his head on Yunho’s side of the shoulder as he watched the silent and soft interaction between Jongho and the sleeping Mingi. The way the young Vampire just seemed to need the touch of his hyung, desperate for it, even though Mingi was unimaginably hurt and still sleeping. 

“Do you think we’re this adorable?” San asked softly, looking up towards the taller. 

Yunho snorted, “I doubt it… we scream and attack one another for fun.” 

“Don’t put us all in the same box as Wooyoung…” 

Yunho chuckled and nodded, then got another cup with blood, moving to the living room so he could feed Jongho as well. The young boy looked like he needed some nutrients and there was nothing better than blood for a young Vampire. 

“Drink this.” Yunho handed the cup to Jongho, the younger flinching when Yunho spoke, not having noticed him, eyes glued to his friend the entire time. 

Jongho merely nodded and took the cup with both hands, holding it tightly before taking a small sip. He was far less afraid and suspicious. Probably since he’d been awake the longest the night before, curled close to Seonghwa and watching with rapt attention as Yeosang took care of the older Vampire. He’d seen how hard they’d worked to protect them. 

Yunho smiled softly at the young boy, his actions already wedging their way into his heart. Yunho just wanted to protect this overgrown man-child. He wanted to make sure nothing like this ever happened to them again… but at the same time he was curious; what had transpired the night before? Why had the hunters even come into the forest? What was it about these three that had made them so desperate to follow them so deep into unknown territory? 

Yunho knew though, that he would have to wait for his answers. 


	2. Z W E I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Procrastination is an illness I tell you... 
> 
> My final is on tuesday and I can't get myself to study for it. =/ 
> 
> So I reazlied 3 chapters won't cut it for this... so I think it'll be around 5. Sorry guys it'll be a tad longer than anticipated but I hope you'll still enjoy it even if it's a bit much :) 
> 
> Didn't beta read this so all mistakes are my own ~~enjoy them~~
> 
> Comment/Kudos?

“Your blood tastes weird.” Jongho pouted as he took another sip out of the mug in his hand. His face twisted as he swallowed, tongue sticking out for a moment. It was obvious the young Vampire was trying to keep his expression calm. 

Hongjoong chuckled at the young boy before him. He couldn’t help but feel fond at the blunt truth the young vampire spoke with. Hongjoong knew that to someone who usually drank human blood, that of animals wouldn’t be as satisfying. Sure, sometimes Hongjoong would venture into the nearest city to bring human blood but most of the time he chose to hunt for animals. 

“Jongho, don’t be rude!” Seonghwa hushed the younger, a thin arm wrapped around the young boys’ shoulder. 

Jongho was curled up with his legs pulled to his chest, head resting on the older vampires breastbone. Seonghwa ran his fingers through the young boys’ hair, massaging his scalp in a calming manner. 

Mingi was lying asleep once more, head cradled in Seonghwa’s lap. The tall vampire had his legs hanging off the edge of the couch, but he was far too exhausted to care. His breathing was even, turned to the side so his face was facing the older vampires stomach. 

“You don’t need to worry about offending us.” Hongjoong smiled at the small coven before him, hands up, hoping to seem the least bit intimidating. He knew he wasn’t as tall, but San had told Hongjoong on multiple occasions that his gaze could be quite scary at times. 

“Yeah! We drink animal blood most of the time!” Wooyoung explained from his spot on the armchair, “We don’t get much chance here to find human blood.” 

Seonghwa nodded, “It’s just as efficient. The taste just takes some getting used to.” 

Jongho pouted and took another sip, face scrunching up in discomfort. Hongjoong was fascinated by this trio of vampires. It had been far too long since he’d seen anyone of their kind other than his own coven. He’d made sure that his home in this dense forest was nearly impossible to find. 

“How long have you been a coven?” Yeosang asked the newcomers. The thin vampire was sitting on the floor, leaning his back against Wooyoungs’ legs. His eyes were wide and curious, clearly amazed at the sight of different people. 

Seonghwa chuckled, eyes closing for a moment. Hongjoong thought this vampire was truly very beautiful. His features were sharp and strong, but there was also a soft beauty. Hongjoong couldn’t explain it, but the way Seonghwa seemed to fret over Jongho and how he cared for Mingi was truly beautiful. 

“A few decades… I picked Mingi and Jongho up off the streets a few decades ago. Saved them from some black-market affaires.” Seonghwa frowned, as he mentioned the black-market. Vampires were sought after by hunters, used for sport, but some people even thought having a Vampire as a ‘pet’ was far more thrilling… 

“You were captured by traders?” San gasped, sitting up and looking at the young Vampire. 

Jongho nodded not looking anyone in the eye. He was solely focused on his mug, swishing the odd tasting blood around. He didn’t like thinking of his life before Seonghwa. He didn’t want to be reminded of anything those traders had done to him. The only reason Jongho even resembled a normal functioning vampire was thanks to Mingi-hyung and Seonghwa-hyung. 

“That still goes on?” Hongjoong frowned, “I can’t believe it… humans just never seem to learn.” 

“Unfortunately and in the past few years it’s only gotten worse… worse than I ever remember it being.” Seonghwa shook his head sadly, eyes moving to a still sleeping Mingi, the younger moving a hand to curl into the loose shirt of the oldest of his coven. 

“How did you guys become a coven?” Jongho finally asked, hating the thick silence in the room. 

“Hongjoong-hyung found us all!” Wooyoung exclaimed, “I was just a normal human until a few decades ago. Some random vampire tried to drink my blood, but he almost killed me instead… Hongjoong saved my life and turned me instead!” 

“You didn’t want to just die? You prefer this life of hiding?” Jongho asked the other tilting his head curiously, regarding him. 

Wooyoung shook his head, “Sure it sucked at first, but now I really like it here. I didn’t really have anywhere to go anyways, street kid and all… so at least with Hongjoong-hyung I got a family.” 

***

_ Hunger… all Wooyoung could feel was the empty hole where his stomach had once been. At least it felt that way. All he wanted to do was eat. He walked by all the markets, watching as people threw their money at the shop keepers.  _

_ Wooyoung couldn’t help and glare at those privileged people. He wanted food. His stomach let out a loud and painful growl as he continued to watch. His mouth salivating at the sight of someone taking a bite out of a fishcake, chewing loudly.  _

_ Wooyoung could swear he heard the munching of the other person. But the young boy could only imagine how wonderful such street food would taste. He could imagine the texture of the spicy rice cakes and the fried chicken. He wished he had money, at least enough for one small cup filled with fried chicken.  _

_ The young boy felt the glares of some of the people he walked by. He knew he wasn’t anything to look at. He was dirty, unable to shower for at least a week now. His hair was a mess, caked with dirt and sweat. It hadn’t been a mild summer and he had been sweaty for most of the day. He probably smelled pretty bad as well.  _

_ But Wooyoung was so hungry and due to that, his dazed mind led him to the crowded market area. Everything looked so tempting and he continuously thought about sneaking his hand to one of the busier stands to steal some of the food, but his conscious wouldn’t feel right to do so.  _

_ No, Wooyoung knew he could somehow make enough once he got to a more open space. He just had to use his single skill, the reason why he was even here and starving. He knew he could use his body; he could dance.  _

_ Dance was his true passion, the one thing he was good at. His family had never approved. His father constantly throwing fists whenever Wooyoung so much as mentioned wanting to study dance. The mere idea of ‘wasting time and money’ on something like dance, was enough to have the alcoholic man up in stitches, resulting in bruises littering Wooyoungs’ frame.  _

_ Wooyoung sighed, unhappy to have thoughts of his past running through his mind. He truly was tired and hungry if he couldn’t even keep those dark memories sealed up. Being out on the street was hard, but at least he didn’t have to worry about being beat up constantly.  _

_ Anything was easier than to have the people whom Wooyoung should have loved the most, constantly berating him. He didn’t need that. He didn’t need to have them constantly harm him. No, he was stronger than that. Just to spite them, even if they didn’t know he was still alive, he wanted to survive and make something of himself.  _

_ The young boy made his way down the street, ignoring all stares he got. He just had to quickly freshen up in one of the public restrooms and then he would find a place with music so he could dance and hopefully get a few coins for his troubles. He just wanted to eat something, even if it wasn’t a lot. He was desperate to feel his stomach filled once more. It had been ages since he’d had enough to sustain himself.  _

_ He found a place to wash up, emerging from the bathroom at least somewhat cleaner than he had been before. He knew that within the next while he’d be sweaty once more, but at least he wasn’t a complete and utter mess.  _

_ He’d even worn his one good shirt for the day, hoping to impress the people in the vicinity. There were enough tourists around, someone ought to pity him and give him a few bucks so he could eat.  _

_ That was the only thing on his mind. Food. Wooyoung had to eat. He had to survive so he could make his dream of dancing on a large stage a reality. Nothing else mattered to him. Dance was the only thing he wanted to do; it was the only thing giving his life meaning.  _

_ Wooyoung trudged through a large crowd of people and then made his way in front of a store playing loud music to attract customers. A soft wind blew through the open street, people hurrying by, enjoying the cool night air.  _

_ Wooyoung knew this was the perfect spot for him. Here he could show his skill, while not overheating. All the blinking lights of the stores still open so late at night also gave for good lighting. Wooyoung smiled and nodded to himself, preparing his dance routine.  _

_ He stretched and then felt the groove. He put his old, dirty hat down in front of himself, hoping at least some coins, maybe even some paper would end up in it. He muttered a soft prayer, even if he didn’t believe in god, and then began to feel the beat of the song playing.  _

_ He had heard it often before and then let the music take over. His arms and legs moved on their own accord. He didn’t even need to think as he let everything wash over him. He lost himself in the music and his movements reflected this.  _

_ People stopped and stared at this dirty kid in rags dancing, movements mesmerizing. It was beautiful. Such a beautiful thing to watch and some even gave him the money he’d so desperately been needing.  _

_ Yet Wooyoung didn’t notice any of those who had stopped to watch him. He merely focused on the beat and on the music around him. The song ended and another came one, Wooyoung going with the flow, moving from one dance into another almost seamlessly. For those watching it was truly breathtaking.  _

_ After the third song change, the people of the store notice the huge crowd and saw Wooyoung performing, loitering in front of their store. They knew him, he’d stopped there many times before to perform and even though the employees didn’t mind, their bosses did and therefore they always had to shoo the thin street kid off.  _

_ They let him finish the last song before one of the employees walked out. He gave a stern look at the young boy. He truly did look tired and hungry. The employee sighed and then told Wooyoung that he had to leave.  _

_ Wooyoung knew that those who worked at the store didn’t want to force him to leave, but he also knew that their employers weren’t happy with the crowd of people blocking the entrance. He thanked the worker, picked up the hat and sighed as he looked at all the banknotes.  _

_ He would have enough to eat for the next few evenings. He would rashion the money, but it was enough. He wouldn’t have to be hungry anymore. Not for a while at least. He was used to the gaping feeling of hunger, but that didn’t mean that he liked it. Not in the slightest. He didn’t want to be so hungry and dirty all the time.  _

_ He could even afford a night in a sauna… in a sauna he could clean himself up… which meant better business… all he still needed were some clean clothes, but those would be far too expensive. He knew it would be impossible for that, but at least he had some positive prospects.  _

_ Wooyoung grinned, making his way to the crowded market. His eyes widened at all the foods he could now afford. A drop of sweat was running down his neck. He wiped at it and then made a mad dash forward towards the small corner store selling little cups of fried chicken.  _

_ He paid for his chicken and then walked to the beach not too far from the market. Busan was such a beautiful city, especially at night. The ocean waves echoing in the silent night, cool air refreshing and the wonderful feeling of sand under his hands. It was all perfect and with his stomach slowly being filled Wooyoung could really appreciate what he had here.  _

_ “You danced beautifully.” Someone walked over to Wooyoung, a young man who looked far too perfect for this earth. He was tall, shoulders wide and hips slim. The perfect figure of a swimmer. His hair was long, tickling his neck. Wooyoung couldn’t make out his face completely in the darkness of a moonless night. But he could tell he was handsome from the mere structure of his cheekbones.  _

_ “Thank you.” Wooyoung blushed, not used to getting complimented on his dancing. He’d only ever been ridiculed and hit for doing something he loved.  _

_ “I’ve never seen moves like yours. Truly you’re beautiful.” The man sat down without being invited to, moving very close to Wooyoung. The younger felt slightly uncomfortable, thinking of his rancid smell.  _

_ This man clearly had money, his clothing seemed to be made from expensive material. He looked so confident, moving so close to the other. Wooyoung didn’t know what this was, this odd feeling of having a man so close to him, far too close.  _

_ “We’re all alone here now… nobody is at the beach at this time.” Wooyoung could tell the man was smirking, his voice right by his ear, as though he was trying to hypnotize Wooyoung.  _

_ The young boy shuddered, wanting to move away, feeling slightly uncomfortable. He wanted to pull away from this man, but something stopped him. He looked at the man, finally seeing his eyes, dark slits, black even. The man smirked and Wooyoung almost let out a shout at the sight of fangs.  _

_ A vampire… he knew vampires existed, everyone did, but everyone knew that one did not mess with a vampire. They were dangerous. They were hunted for a reason… and yet here Wooyoung was, sitting by one and he knew… he knew he was this guys dinner.  _

_ It was obvious that Wooyoung didn’t have anyone who would miss him. He was dirty and smelly. His clothes were ripped and he had to dance out in the street to make enough money to have something to eat.  _

_ Wooyoung never thought of the rumors that vampires were nothing but bloodthirsty monsters. He always thought those were just exaggerations, but at the sight of this handsome guy looming over his thin frame, smirking at the panic coursing through Wooyoung… it made the young boy rethink everything he’d ever known about vampires.  _

_ “It won’t hurt.. I’ll make it quick.” The guy smirked, “You really did dance beautifully, but I’m too hungry to ignore such an opportunity…” He grinned and before Wooyoung could scream, could do anything, there were fangs in his neck.  _

_ Wooyoung had never felt such a feeling before. His whole frame shook as he realized that this man was literally sucking the life out of him. The vampire let out a loud hum, moving even closer.  _

_ To anyone walking by they must have looked like an overzealous couple going at it by the beach, but in truth, Wooyoung was aching. His whole body was burning with pain. His heart was trying to pump blood through his veins, but with each beat there was less and less blood to be pumped as this vampire got his fill.  _

_ Venom filled Wooyoungs’ veins, the vampires venom replacing his blood. It hurt. His whole body was in pain. His mind was screaming at Wooyoung to move, to push this guy off him, but he was far too weak. Lack of nutrition and the overpowering fright left him completely frozen.  _

_ His vision faded, everything spinning. This was it… he would die here, by the beach, looking out over the ocean. He wouldn’t have proven his family wrong. If only they were proven correct. Wooyoung couldn’t make it on his own. He couldn’t make anything of himself. He was destined to die at the hands of a handsome vampire… what a sad life Wooyoung had lived up until this point.  _

_ His eyes fell closed, he was about to pass out, when the teeth in his neck were ripped off. He heard snarling and growling. He was far too out of it to know what was happening around him. He just knew that now that the vampire was gone, he was lying on the beach and bleeding out.  _

_ So he wouldn’t even die due to the vampire drinking all his blood. He would merely die because the vampire had been distracted.  _

_ “Come on…” A voice growled above Wooyoung, hands running over his body. Seconds later he felt something at his mouth. A wrist… he didn’t know what was happening. All he realized was that there was blood dripping from it.  _

_ For some unknown reason Wooyoung lapped at the liquid. It tasted like iron. It was thick and gross, but he couldn’t stop himself. He took what he needed and then passed out only moments later. His mind finally letting him rest.  _

_ The young man woke up hours later in a small hut on the outskirts of town. He woke up in a warm bed, wrapped up in a blanket. The heat was almost overbearing in this summer weather… and finally, as he was lying there he realized he wasn't dead. That vampire hadn’t killed him. No… instead he had become one himself.  _

_ There in that hut Wooyoung met none other than Hongjoong. His savior and the first person the young man could ever proudly call his family.  _

***

Yeosang was about to say something, but Mingi began to stir. His long frame stretched, toes wiggling out from under the blanket someone had thrown over him a while ago. He let out a quiet yawn, and then relaxed back into the couch. 

“Hey… good morning…” Seonghwa spoke softly, running his free hand through the tall vampires hair, brushing some strands away from the bandages. 

The oldest frowned at the damage that had been done. He’d looked over the bandages as well once he’d woken up and realized that Mingi’s eye wasn’t salvageable. He didn’t know how he’d tell him, how the other would react. Seonghwa felt terrible, like he’d let his coven down. 

It took a few more moments before Mingi tried to sit up. His whole body ached from exhaustion, the right side of his face was on fire and his chest seemed to be on fire. He managed to sit up, with a lot of help from Seonghwa and Jongho, who had moved from the other side of their oldest. 

“What’s happening?” Even though Mingi knew he’d been awake before he couldn’t really remember where he was or how he got there. He just remembered being in full fledge panic mode, knowing he had to keep his coven safe somehow. The only way he knew he could do that was to distract those hunters long enough for Jongho to find help and somehow save Seonghwa. 

Hongjoong watched silently, taking in the interaction between the three. The way Seonghwa helped keep the lanky vampire sitting upright, while Jongho let him wrap an arm around his shoulder. They sat completely squashed together even though the couch was rather large. It was like they needed the physical reassurance. 

Seonghwa explained the situation to Mingi, how Hongjoong had saved them all and offered them a place to stay for the time being. He introduced the rest of the coven to Mingi, all except for Yunho who was taking a shower at the moment. 

Mingi nodded, staying silent. He merely watched with eyes like a hawk as he looked around the room, taking in the odd bunch of vampires all around him. He couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the huge crowd, his whole body burning with pain, but he also didn’t want to go back to sleep. 

“Are we safe here?” Mingi finally asked looking over to Seonghwa, needing the reassurance of the older vampire. As long as Seonghwa thought this was a safe place he’d deem it appropriate. But only if the elder thought so. Otherwise Mingi would get off this couch and march outside right away. He didn’t want his coven to be hurt once more. 

“Yes we can trust them… and no hunter had found this home for decades.” Seonghwa spoke softly with his coven, eyes filled with pure concern and worry for the younger vampires. 

Hongjoong could understand the other very well. This need to protect the younger vampires, to care for them and to protect them from anything. Seeing Mingi hurt, even losing sight in one of his eyes, it must have destroyed Soenghwa to know he couldn’t fully care for his coven. Hongjoong knew he’d go mad with guilt and fury. Fury at those hunters and fury at himself for not sheltering the others better. 

Mingi sighed and relaxed into the couch. He let out a hiss, hand moving to his exposed chest where the bullets had pierced him. Sure, he could tell he was healing, but far slower than he was supposed to. Not to mention the annoying bandage around half of his head, obscuring his vision. 

“Don’t touch it.” Seonghwa slapped at the tall vampires hand when Mingi fumbled with the bandages, hoping to take them off. 

Yeosang let out a chuckle at the interaction. He could see the mirror image of his own coven. The way Seonghwa took care of the other two, Jongho and Mingi being a tad mischievious even when they are both injured. The older stood up, stretching his back, “I’ll get some more to drink for you guys.” 

Jongho let out a groan, mumbling something about terrible tasting blood, followed by a yelp, probably Seonghwa hitting him behind the ears. 

Yunho walked down the steps just as Yeosang walked into the kitchen. The tallest joined his friend, both grabbing their blood supplies and pouring them into glasses. They’d run out of cups pretty quickly, but neither thought anyone would mind drinking from a glass rather than a cup. 

“Are they all awake?” Yunho asked the slightly younger. 

Yeosang nodded, “Yeah… Jongho hates the blood. I guess he’s only ever had human blood and still needs to get used to animal nutrients.” 

Yunho smirked, “That’s normal for a youngling like him.” 

“Like we’re any older.” Yeosang rolled his eyes, “A few decades here and there really don’t make a difference. At least we’re not ancient like Seonghwa or Hongjoong-hyung.” 

Both held in giggles at the older vampires’ expenses. The younger ones loved to remind Hongjoong of his grandfather status when it came to age. He usually took it with a grain of salt and shrugged off any comments about his age and his ‘wrinkles’. Yunho couldn’t help but feel thankful at having met such a laid back father figure for their coven. 

It hadn’t always been all sunshine and rainbows, especially not for him and Yeosang. They’d been a pair for far longer than anyone else in their coven. They’d wandered the world together before meeting Hongjoong.

***

_ “Yunho… I can’t anymore.” Yeosang whimpered, curled into the far corner of their shared cell. He was wrapped into a thin blanket, trying to keep warm, but the temperature in their cell had gradually decreased to inhumane levels.  _

_ “Come on… Yeosang don’t give in.” The slightly older whispered, “You got this. I know you can do it.” Yunho was also shaking from the cold. He was broader and taller than Yeosang and he wished he could take the smaller and wrap his arms around him, to warm him up.  _

_ A vampires’ body temperature tended to be lower than that of a regular human, and this was a test to see just how cold it could be until even vampires felt some physical repercussions. It was pure and utter torture. Torture in the name of ‘science’, but what science would allow for something like this? What science let people take another being and kill them slowly each day.  _

_ “It hurts.” Yunho could hear the pain in the smaller vampires voice. The way his teeth were chattering due to the frigid air around them. A gust shot through the small room, making it even icyer for a single moment.  _

_ Yeosang sobbed, curling into the wall. His frame was shaking, “Make it stop…” He whimpered, “Yunho I can’t do this. Make it stop.” Yunho could tell the other was becoming delirious, that he was slowly losing all sense of reality. The older wasn’t sure how long they’d been in this freezing cell and how long they’d endured the constant torture.  _

_ The lack of blood was also a problem. None of the ‘scientists’ had come in for a while to bring them anything nutritious. The two had been reliant on what they’d had previously, but their bodies had to burn the nutrients of the blood due to the cold and now they were freezing and starving all at once.  _

_ Yunho growled and turned in the cell, doing the usual five steps before turning 180 and walking another five steps to the other side of their cramped living space. It was too cold, too small. This was torture. If Yunho didn’t have Yeosang by his side he would have gone insane ages ago. He wouldn’t have been able to survive.  _

_ He and Yeosang had been placed together in a cell when they’d both been captured by the scientists. They’d been turned around the same time, Yunho a few years prior, but not a big gap.  _

_ Yunho needed Yeosang. The smaller was like a brother. The brother Yunho had always wished for. The brother he never had as a human. Yeosang was the only reason Yunho ever survived these experiments. He couldn’t survive without Yeosang by his side.  _

_ The older looked up at the camera following him at every moment. Yunho frowned at the camera before turning and walking five steps once more. The constant whimpers of Yeosang echoing in his empty mind. Nothing else was occupying him.  _

_ Usually Yeosang was far more positive than Yunho. He was bright and friendly. He even tried to be friendly with some of the attendants, but it was nearly impossible to even get a single smile out of them. They all kept their distance, afraid that Yunho or Yeosang would jump them and drink their blood.  _

_ Yunho hated how everyone thought they were just a bunch of blood sucking, mindess beings. Like they didn’t have emotions, they didn’t have any sort of thoughts. Blood was the only thing on their mind; at least that was what most humans seemed to think of them. But it wasn't like that at all…  _

_ Yunho growled when his friend let out another sob, begging the freezing tortutre to end. The taller stomped over towards the camera and reached up. It was high up, but Yunho was tall and when he stood on the tips of his toes he could barely reach the expensive camera.  _

_ Yeosang was too cold to concentrate on what his friend was doing. In any normal situation the shorter would warn Yunho and try to stop him from doing something dumb, from possibly getting hurt, but he was in far too much pain to notice what was happening around him.  _

_ Yunho let out a deep growl, reached out and then ripped the camera from it’s spot on the wall.  _

_ Right away all the lights in their room went off and a loud horn blew, noise echoing in the small space deafening Yeosang and Yunho right away. The older boy rushed to the spot where he remembered Yeosang had been curled up for the last few hours. Yunho fell to his knees and grabbed the shaking boy and pulled Yeosang close, engulfing him with his large frame, protecting him from whatever those ‘scientists’ would do to them due to Yunho’s rash actions.  _

_ Yeosang cried even more, tears wetting the thin shirt Yunho was wearing. His body was frigid and shaking. Yunho knew the other was far too cold. He wasn’t alright. He was sick due to these temperatures. This wasn’t an experiment. This was brutal and total torture.  _

_ It didn’t take long for five guards to burst through the door, a single gleam of light illuminating the cell, the long shadows of the workers looming over the pair of vampires. They were dressed in dark padding, helmets over their faces, not a single spot open to be bit. Even the guards, trained and everything, were afraid of the vampires and what they could do.  _

_ Yeosang hid his face in Yunho’s chest, cold hand clinging to him. He wasn’t getting warmer, even holding onto Yunho didn’t help. Sharing their body heat wasn’t warming the younger up and Yunho was completely and utterly out of his wits. He didn’t know what else he could do to help Yeosang.  _

_ At least there was a bit of warmth coming into their room from the outside. Yunho just wished that they wouldn’t be punished even more due to his stupid idea. He’d done it for Yeosang. He’d done it for his brother. He just wanted Yeosang to not be so goddamn cold anymore.  _

_ Eventually one of the five guards pulled out a long pole with a loop at the end. Yunho saw the silhouette of the object, his body beginning to shake at the mere sight. He knew this couldn’t mean anything good. He knew he had gone too far this time around.  _

_ The man elongated the pole and then moved closer, wrapping the loop around Yunho’s neck, before the vampire could apologize and say anything to the other. Yunho desperately clung to Yeosang, the younger crying out when he realized that Yunho was being pulled away from him.  _

_ Yunho let out a choking sound as he was pulled back, the man tugging painfully, the thin wires of the rope biting into his neck. They’d doused the damn rope in holy water, making sure to burn the vampire, pain rushing through him as he was pulled further away from Yeosang.  _

_ “Please! Don’t do this!” Yeosang whimpered, reaching out, but another of the guards pulled out a metal whip and smacked it against the floor, close to where Yeosang was reaching. The vampire flinched back, eyes wide as he had to watch his only friend being pulled out of the room like a wild animal.  _

_ Yunho let out a howl of frustration, tried to wriggle away. He knew he could just lift the damn noose off his neck, but the burn was intensifying, making him almost immobile.  _

_ “You go and break property and now you’re sorry? Fucking piece of shit.” The guard closest to Yunho growled, “I always knew there was nothing in your brains. Dumbass mindless creatures. You should all be staked and thrown into fire.”  _

_ “Don’t hurt!” Yunho choked as he was tugged away from the door ending up coughing and not finishing his sentence. He wanted to tell them not to hurt Yeosang anymore. He didn’t want his friend to be cold any longer. Yeosang was a good person. He was pure and friendly. He didn’t deserve such a slow and painful death.  _

_ “Oh you’ll be hurt.” Another guard chuckled darkly. The one holding the rope slammed Yunho against the wall, two other guards moving forward, wrapping chains around his wrists, tying them together behind his back, adding shackles to his feet as well, making it difficult to walk.  _

_ Yunho cried, letting out a choked out painful noise as the rope around his neck tightened once more, choking him. He was then let go of and the six moved onto another area. Yunho had seen these hallways thousands of times before. He knew them all and yet he still couldn’t recognize any of them, because they all looked the same. Same number of doors. No numbers on each of them. Same colours, same steps. It was all the exact same.  _

_ Yunho just hoped that someone would go in and fix that damn camera, that they’d turn the heat back on in their shared room. He just wished they would realize that Yeosang was sick, that Yeosang needed help and not to be tortured any longer. He needed to be taken care of. And it seemed Yunho wouldn’t be able to anymore.  _

_ The tall vampire was thrown in a different room, the guards on top of him right away. He was pulled onto an uncomfortable chair, wrists untied behind his back, but quickly shackled onto the armrests, same with his feet. He couldn’t move. He was trapped.  _

_ The guard even went as far as to secure his head with a band. Yunho was unable to move his head. He couldn’t see what was happening on the sides, he was stuck looking straight ahead and that seemed to ignite panic within his heart. He was unable to know what would truly bed one to him, and this unknown was pure and utter torture.  _

_ Meanwhile Yeosang was curled up and cold. The door had been closed shut behind him, but now he didn’t even have Yunho by his side anymore. He didn’t have anyone with him. He was alone, in the dark, and the bit of warm air which had flown inside hadn’t been helpful at all. He was still freezing.  _

_ At least the incident seemed to have woken him up. He wasn’t as tired anymore. Still in pain, but far less tired. He knew he had to do something, had to stay strong and wait for Yunho to come back, because the other boy had sacrificed himself for Yeosang. Yunho was going to be punished because Yeosang hadn’t been able to handle the cold.  _

_ The door once more opened and Yeosang squinted at the attendant who seemed to sneak into the room. It was a small young woman. Yeosang had seen her around. She had always been one of the nicer ones who worked there. She sometimes gave Yunho and him an extra ounce of blood after they’d been thoroughly tortured.  _

_ She frowned at the temperature but continued to move, “Here…” She whispered, holding out a bag of blood for the vampire. Yeosang took it and bit into the bag, gulping down the fresh liquid, feeling his energy replenish quite quickly with every sip. The blood seemed to go down quite easily. Yeosang almost choked on it, he was so desperate for the nutrition.  _

_ “Slow down…” The girl whispered, “Don’t get sick from drinking too fast.” She scolded almost like a mother would a child. It was funny, because Yeosang was probably at least seventy years older than her, and yet she treated him as though he was a child.  _

_ “Yeosang…” She paused, making sure the other was aware of what she was about to say, “I am going to leave now. I won’t lock the door. Escape… you have to get out of here.” She told him, “Yunho… I don’t know where they’ve taken him… I wish I could help him as well, but I’m not in a high enough position. All I know it doesn’t seem good…”  _

_ Yeosang frowned at her words, taking a few moments until he realized that he was being set free. That this woman was risking her career, probably even her life, all for Yeosang. She was setting him free. This human was helping him… Yeosang had never encountered a friendly, a nice human before. They’d always been off put by him and the other vampires. Nobody had ever extended their hand to him…  _

_ The girl smiled and ran her small hand through his hair, “Be free… Yunho would want you to be free.” She then turned around, dropping another bag of blood on her way out.  _

_ Yeosang couldn’t control himself and pounced on the bag of blood. With it she’d also dropped a map of the compound… as though that would help Yeosang. The vampire was terrible with directions. He knew he would have trouble finding his way out…  _

_ And he knew he couldn’t leave without Yunho.  _

_ A life outside the compound without Yunho didn’t make sense to Yeosang. Sure, Yunho would want him to live, the taller vampire being such a sentimental idiot, but Yeosang knew he wouldn’t last without the other vampire. He knew he had to somehow find his best friend; his brother.  _

_ Yeosang drank the rest of the blood, feeling much better. The cold didn’t seem to seep into his bones anymore. He was able to think clearly. He knew he didn’t have much time until someone came to install a new camera. Yeosang had to leave right in that moment. He had to take his chance.  _

_ His eyes scanned the map. He was in the third basement it seemed. He would have to bypass guards and other types of security. He didn’t know how he would be able to find Yunho, but he trusted his gut to reach the other boy before it was too late. The way the female attendant had spoken made it seem like Yeosang didn’t have a lot of time.  _

_ The mere idea of Yunho being killed off frightened the shorter to the bone. So he used what strength he had gained from the blood and the adrenaline of knowing he can escape, to rush out of the room, using as much speed as he could muster.  _

_ Yeosang flitted by cameras knowing he would be spotted if he slowed down. He pushed himself, keeping his ears open for any sounds. His steps were almost inaudible, the floors absorbing the sound as well, giving the whole place an eerie feel. Yeosang was desperate. He didn’t know what else he would do to find Yunho.  _

_ Yeosang felt energy draining as he continued to flit by each room. He truly had to concentrate to try and find his friend. In his desperation he didn’t notice that he’d slowed down. A shrieking alarm startled the young Vampire, making him jump as he realized that he’d been caught on camera.  _

_ He cursed under his breath, realizing that he didn’t have time left. He had to find Yunho. He had to be there for him, even if it meant both of them would die. He wasn’t sure how he would do this. He was just so desperate.  _

_ His heart was hammering in his chest, his whole frame aching. He felt his skin tingle from the warmth only realizing then how cold he’d been. He was uncomfortable, thousands of invisible ants skittering over his frame, but Yeosang ignored it all and followed his senses, hoping that he had a strong enough connection to Yunho to try and save him somehow.  _

_ He turned a corner, seeing a group of guards rush out of a room. One of them was carrying the large staff with loop, the same one they’d used to carry Yunho off. Another was holding a large taser while the others also had some weapons on them.  _

_ Yeosang didn’t care. He didn’t care what would happen to him. He felt a sudden rush of adrenaline surge through him. Yeosang jumped out at the first guard. He couldn’t control his movements, hand reaching out, fingernails extendending into claws almost as he reached out and then ripped into the guards unprotected neck, blood spewing everywhere within seconds.  _

_ Normally, Yeosang might have been distracted by the sweet scent of blood, but he was far too focused on saving his friend. He had to get to Yunho. He could scent the other, Yeosang knew that behind that door was his friend. He just hoped he wasn’t too late.  _

_ The young vampire whipped around and let out a hiss, jumping from his first victim at another one of the guards. The humans didn’t see what was coming towards them, the vampire moving far quicker than they could follow.  _

_ In a moment of panic, one of the guards used his taser to try and get Yeosang, but luck was on his side and he managed to flit out of his way. In an almost comedic manner, the guard managed to nick his coworker instead, shocking the human, nearly killing him due to the high voltage needed to subdue a vampire. The man collapsed body convulsing.  _

_ Yeosang might have felt bad on another day, but these were the men who had taken Yunho from him. Pure rage coursed through his veins and all he could think about was the revenge he wanted to get for his friend.  _

_ Yeosang quickly moved towards the stunned guard who had just taken out his ally instead of the vampire. Quick work was done with him and his limp body fell to the floor, a pool of blood growing as Yeosang became more and more thirsty for death and destruction.  _

_ The fourth guard was quickly taken care of. Yeosang could barely remember what he’d done to him, leaving only the last guard, the one with the loop and pole, the one who seemed to be in charge. Yeosang knew he didn’t have much time. More guards were on their way, his position was obvious. He had to get Yunho and run.  _

_ The young vampire let out an inhuman snarl and jumped towards the guard. The man parried the vampire with ease, using his weapon to hold the other off, but Yeosang was faster. He used his agility, throwing himself at the man, taking a step to the side and sweeping the legs out from under the human.  _

_ Before killing the man Yeosang managed to snatch the keys from the other, then without a second thought dug his claws into the guys chest. He glared at the dead body, moving his blood hand to his lips and licking off some of the liquid. It was bitter.  _

_ He quickly moved to the door, opening it, only to find Yunho strapped to a chair, eyes wide with fright. The taller was shaking, tears running down his rosy cheeks. Yeosang had never seen the other like that. He was never terrified…  _

_ The younger could see burn marks from where those guards had electrocuted Yunho. The vampire still twitching every once in a while due to the high currents. It was pure torture for a vampire to be exposed to electricity. It wouldn’t kill them, subdue them maybe, at least at the currents that these humans used. A quick death would not happen. Torture until they finally put someone out of their misery.  _

_ And Yunho seemed to have been burned over and over again.  _

_ Yeosang growled and then quickly moved to his friend, undoing all the chains. He pulled Yunho off the chair, the older collapsing, body shaking. He could barely walk. The lack of blood and lack of care was finally catching up with Yunho.  _

_ Yeosang pulled the other out of the room and into the bloody battle field he’d left behind. One of the guards was still alive, the one who had been shocked by his friend. Yeosang managed to pull Yunho over to him, forcing his friend as close to the others neck as possible. They didn’t have a chance to spare lives… and this man hadn’t had the intention of sparing theirs either.  _

_ “Drink!” Yeosang shouted, voice authoritative, completely different from his usual calm and sweet mannerism.  _

_ Yunho was completely out of it, merely letting his fangs elongate and bite into the human presented before him. Hunger overtook everything and he began to take what he wanted. He took all he needed, what he’d been craving for such a long time.  _

_ Yeosang watched as Yunho drank, the older twitching every once in a while, still affected by the electric torture he’d gone through. Thankfully Yeosang hadn’t been too late… but he hadn’t been able to protect his friend in the least. He’d wanted to, wished he could have taken all this pain from Yunho, but alas it was not so.  _

_ Once he deemed Yunho strong enough he grabbed him once more. He pulled the other away from the now dead body, shouting something about escaping. Of course in that moment more guards appeared.  _

_ Their escape was nothing but a blur. Yeosang had memorized the map. He knew it would be difficult to make it out, but anyone in their way was killed. The pair left nothing but a bloodbath behind. The whole compound was put into a mess of death and destruction. Any sense of humanity had escaped the pair of vampires as they killed anyone in their way.  _

_ A scientist tried to inject them? Before the needle could so much as graze either one, they’d be headless. Another guard tried to shoot them? The gun was quickly turned around on the guard and he ended up with the bullet in his head instead.  _

_ Eventually Yunho and Yeosang made it out of there. Neither knew how long it took. Neither knew how exactly they’d made it. All they could remember was rage and anger fueling them. All those emotions suppressed throughout their time in that compound, being used as lab rats finally boiled over and they managed to get out of there.  _

_ Once they were outside, they managed to run into the closest forest. They ran and flitted away, putting as much distance between themselves and the compound. Neither could enjoy their newfound freedom, too rustled by what had transpired during their escape.  _

_ Yeosang had never killed before. He’d never had the need to. He was mild mannered and polite, but the mere thought of losing Yunho ignited a rage within him. A rage the younger didn’t know how to control or how to stop.  _

*** 

Without a second thought Yunho moved to Yeosang, wrapping his lanky arms around the shorter vampire, “I’m so glad we escaped and became a coven.” He pulled away, grinning from ear to ear. 

Yeosang smiled as well and nodded at Yunho. The pair carried all the drinks into the living room. They set the blood down on the small living room table. 

Yunho felt his breath leave him at the sight of the tall new vampire, the one who had been sleeping so well earlier. Awake he was even more beautiful. Yunho had heard him speak earlier on in the day, but now the other sounded far more awake and far more perfect… even if it was hard to believe. Yunho couldn’t fathom that such a perfect vampire was in his midst. 

“That took way too long!” San complained, “What were you two doing in the kitchen… you’re always whispering about secrets it’s not fair!” The younger glared at Yeosang and then at Yunho, pouting. 

“You’re not adorable so please… just don’t.” Yunho chuckled, sitting down by San, leaning against Wooyoungs’ legs, reaching out and handinge the younger a glass of blood. Wooyoung thanked him and took a sip. 

“We’re running out of blood though.” Yeosang frowned, sitting down by Hongjoong, his leg pressed against that of his coven leader. He looked concerned, “Having three injured vampires here wasn’t part of our rations… so even if it’s dangerous we need to go hunting. We have to fill at least a few more litres of blood bags. 

Hongjoong groaned, “I know… I’ve thought of that as well, but at the moment it’s too dangerous.” 

“I believe if we go now it’ll be fine. Those humans won’t have had enough time to rally together yet so if we go it should be as soon as possible.” Seonghwa stated, “I am fine, your healer did a good job of patching me up. I’m just worried for Jongho and Mingi…” 

Hongjoong nodded thoughtfully at what the other older vampire had said. It made sense to go hunt as soon as possible before any humans could create a decent plan to try and avenge their horrible hunter friends. 

“Alright…” Hongjoong nodded, “You’re right.” he smiled at Seonghwa, feeling oddly shy around the other. He quickly diverted his gaze to the floor, thinking of who should go and who should stay. Someone had to stay with Jongho and Mingi. Jongho was too young to go on a hunt, while Mingi could barely sit up without help. 

“I can go!” Wooyoung grinned, raising his hand, “I’ll be super quiet too.” 

San rolled his eyes at the younger, turning around to glare at Wooyoung, “Fat chance.” he muttered under his breath, but the other vampire was still able to hear. Wooyoung pulled his leg back and smacked the older behind the head causing San to flinch and turn around completely, almost jumping at his friend, hands ready to wrap around the others’ neck. 

“ _ Stop it! _ ” Hongjoong exclaimed, standing from his spot, “Wooyoung you’re staying here. You don’t seem all that much older than Jongho.” 

Wooyoung curled into himself, pouting. He looked ashamed, down at his hands before nodding. Hongjoong never shouted. He never got mad at them, so for him to react like this really seemed like a dire situation and Wooyoung didn’t want to make it worse. He didn’t want to get in the way. 

“I can go.” Yeosang stated, “If anything happens I can try and use some of my healing skills.” 

It made sense for Yeosang to come along. His knowledge of healing was admirable. Not many vampires were so attuned to herbs and healing as Yeosang. It was rather rare, but somehow Hongjoong had lucked out and the young vampire just seemed to  _ know _ which herbs to use and how to bandage someone up properly. 

“Alright… Yunho, you stay here.” Hongjoong needed someone strong and capable to stay back, just in case anything went wrong. He knew Yunho could protect the others. It pained him to leave Yunho behind, but he needed him to keep their home in order, “San you’re coming with us. You’re the fastest.” 

Seonghwa turned to look at Hongjoong and smiled, “Thank you again…” He muttered, but Hongjoong waved him off. 

Yunho frowned, not liking that he was being left behind once more. He was capable and strong. He could help on the hunt. He was the best when it came to tracking, but he also understood where Hongjoong was coming from. He knew the older needed him to stay back to feel at least somewhat at ease out in the open. 

“Alright so all of us will go get ready, we leave in an hour.” Hongjoong stood up and walked out the room without another look. 

Yunho only hoped that all of them would be alright. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **COMMENTS AND KUDOS** MAKE ME HAPPY!!! 
> 
> Seriously, I am a comment-whore :3 
> 
> So yes now I will defo start studying... but honestly learning about Europa: Öffentlichkeit und Medien... it ain't for me... lmaoo


	3. D R E I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait!! I started an Internship and I've literally fallen asleep at 23:00 each night.... 
> 
> ALSO! I'm sorry this is literally only about San... I'll write the Mingi/Jongho chapter!! So everyone knows about their history.... and the love has to happen too!!! I'm so slow... that's why I've taken away the amount of chapters since it's turning out to be way longer than I initially thought.... 
> 
> hope you enjoy it anyways!! :3 
> 
> **COMMENT** and **KUDOS** are always welcome :)

San ran ahead, eyes focusing on his surroundings. He made sure not to step on any branches lying around, flitting through the forest along with the wind. Whenever he let go like this he felt like the air current was rushing through his veins, merging himself with everything around himself. 

He could hear the other three following him, none of them able to keep up. He could even make out their uneven breathing. Even for a Vampire, San was extremely fast. He was an anomaly, something special. It had taken years to accept. He’d only been able to accept himself and his unique strengths once he’d joined the coven. 

The young vampire swung through the forest, keeping an eye out for any animals they could get the much needed blood from. They needed a lot more blood. Mingi, Jongho and Seonghwa were full grown vampires and had to sustain themselves. 

San slowed down for a moment, looking behind him and noticing how Yeosang and Seonghwa were lagging behind. The older due to his weakened state and Yeosang out of concern for the other. He truly was far too nice… If it had been San, he would have left Seonghwa with the rest back at their cottage. The elder was only slowing them down. 

But he also understood that pride played into it all. Hongjoong didn’t want to hurt the others pride. Seonghwa was the mother of his own coven, the leader, the one the younger vampires looked up to. He had to put on a strong face, even if he wasn’t completely healthy. 

“He’s slowing us down.” San stated blankly staring as Hongjoong caught up with him. 

“Yeosang can handle it.” Hongjoong merely explained, rushing forward. 

San rolled his eyes and began to run ahead at full speed. He knew it was dumb. Knew he shouldn’t get too far from the rest of them, just in case those hunters decided to be stupid and rush into the forest without a real plan, but he was annoyed. Annoyed at the whole situation. 

San liked his life. He truly did. He loved living with Hongjoong and being part of the coven. He loved every single moment of it and this new coven… they barged in and brought trouble along with them. They brought danger, and San didn’t need or want danger. He wanted to peaceful existence of his family, his coven. 

He knew he was being selfish, seeing how Yunho lit up when he saw Mingi was truly adorable and heartwarming, or how Hongjoong seemed to stutter awkwardly around Seonghwa… San could have probably accepted their presence far easier if it hadn’t been for the dangerous situation they’d been placed in. 

He knew they had to help out fellow Vampires. He didn’t want to, but he knew it had to be done. For the greater good. But who knew if these vampires were even like them? That they were to be trusted? San didn’t want to blindly put his faith in some vampires he’d never met before, but he was the only one who seemed to think this way in his whole coven. 

San didn’t pay attention for a single moment and almost missed the large deer lying around on the ground, lazing around in the evening light. It was a small clearing, the moon illuminating brightly onto the animals. 

San stopped his movements, dead in his tracks, eyes focused only on his food. He had a backpack filled with plastic blood containers. He knew that this family of deer could easily fill his backpack as well as that of Hongjoong. 

He made sure to wait for his coven and Seonghwa. They’d noticed his lack of movement and also moved as quietly to his position. Seonghwa was breathing heavily, some beads of sweat building on his forehead, but he was still as quiet as any other vampire, stepping around any sticks and stones with perfected ease. 

San pointed towards the family, the other three nodding. San didn’t need to speak. He and Hongjoong had done this thousands of times before, the two of them jumping out from their hiding spot with unimaginable speed.

The deer didn’t even have time to be surprised by their attackers. Hongjoong and San made quick work of them, cracking their necks as quick and painlessly as possible before cutting into their main arteries and filling up as many bags as they could. 

It was dirty, but important work. They knew they had to do this to survive. They didn’t have humans to feed from in these regions, which was safer. San felt bad for the animals they killed. They were innocent, never had they done anything to the vampires, while those vile humans constantly hunted them… if anything humans deserved to be killed for food. 

If vampires were nothing more than sport to them… a challenge. 

San was seething at the mere thought of those humans coming into his forest, close to his coven. He hated them. He hated all humans. None of them were alright… 

Usually he was a very friendly and upbeat person. Around his coven he could express himself freely. He didn’t need to mask his feelings, but humans just brought out nothing but anger in him. He hated humans more than anything. 

“We need more.” Yeosang frowned looking at all that they’d gotten thus far. San knew the older was right. This wasn’t nearly enough for their new guests. They would have to catch some more, probably bring their current catch back and then continued for a second round. 

“How about Yeosang and I take these back to the cottage while you guys fill in another load?” Seonghwa asked San and Hongjoong, “You’re both far healthier than I am and seem to have a good understanding of how to hunt here.” 

San felt relief wash over him. At least this guy knew what was best for the group. His pride didn’t overshadow his mind. Some covens’ did have those problems, where pride was the most important feeling, yet those covens’ often imploded due to conflicting opinions and ideals. San was glad to know that this vampire at least had some sense of self preservation. 

So Yeosang and Seonghwa took the filled bags of blood, before handing their empty ones to the other pair. They flitted away within seconds, Yeosang leading the way. 

“How are you feeling?” Hongjoong took a step towards the younger, putting his hand on the back of the others neck and squeezing tightly. The mere touch was calming. San hadn’t realized just how tensed up he was the entire time. His whole frame slouched into the touch, eyes closing as he enjoyed the short lived moment of comfort. 

“I don’t like this situation.” San muttered, “I know I didn’t show it before but I just… I hate this whole situation.” 

Hongjoong nodded, “I can understand… you dislike hunters more than anyone… with good reason.” 

San shuddered at the mere thought of the past. He didn’t want to think about what he had gone through. What he’d dealt with all those years ago. 

“Let’s get the last of our bags filled and we can go back to the cottage. You need some rest.” Hongjoong finally spoke, letting go of the younger and then running to find some more game for them. 

*** 

_ “We can’t afford him… we need to give him away somehow…” The young mother cried into the arms of her husband. She was curled up on a ragged old couch, one they couldn’t afford had it not been one they’d found thrown away only a few weeks prior.  _

_ San was lying on the ground, a dirty blanket wrapped around his thin frame. He was hungry, stomach growling and he was cold. He knew he couldn’t complain though. Complaining meant his father brought out the belt and San didn’t want to be hit with the belt.  _

_ The young child only closed his eyes, turned and pretended to sleep while his parents whispered about him and the financial burden he brought upon them. There was also his two older sisters and older brother. He was the youngest, the unwanted one, the accident.  _

_ He knew he was a strain on them, he was eating up much needed resources… he was too young to know this, but he could hear his siblings grumbling about it day in and day out. He heard his parents complain over and over as well.  _

_ He wished he could somehow do something for them, not to be such a burden. He wanted to be useful for his family, because even though they didn’t seem to love him, he still felt for them and wanted them all to be happy and healthy.  _

_ “You know… there are those… clans..? The blackmarket is always looking to sell blood bags to them.” His father spoke.  _

_ San didn’t know what his father meant, didn’t understand what a clan was or what he meant by blood bag… San didn’t like the sound of it though. He didn’t want to be a bag of blood. He wanted to be San…  _

_ The whispering continued for a while, his mother sounding concerned, while his father seemed to get more and more desperate, “We can make good cash! Just believe me.”  _

_ A few weeks later San was walking in a part of town he’d never seen before with his father. The small boy was clutching onto his hand tightly. Large eyes looked around at the dark alleyways and the dirt everywhere. It didn’t look nice here, no yards, no other children. San didn’t know what he was doing here.  _

_ His father knocked on a heavy wooden door, someone opening it, peering through a small slit before opening it wider and letting the pair into their home. San felt his skin crawl at the sight of the man before him. He was tall, broad and dressed all in black, a cloak over his shoulders.  _

_ “San…” His father kneeled down, “Your mother and I don’t have the money to keep you.” He explained softly. San had never heard him talk like this, seeing his father kneel down before him was scary, this whole situation was new and San hated it. He hated that his father wasn’t shouting and wasn’t acting tough… no, this was all wrong.  _

_ “Appa…” San sniffled, small hand reaching out to the man, “What’s happening?” He asked through tears.  _

_ “This man is going to take you and you’ll have a better life.” His father explained, “A lite we couldn’t give you.”  _

_ San didn’t want a better life. He wanted to stay with his siblings and parents even if they didn’t particularly want him. He didn’t want to go with this man who looked like the bad guy out of any story he’d ever been read.  _

_ San shook his head, launching himself into the arms of his father. The man hugged his son one last time before standing at full height. He exchanged something with the dark man and a few moments later San was being scooped up into the thick arms of the other man.  _

_ The child let out a loud scream, only to have a hand cover his mouth, muffling the sound, “Don’t make a sound…” The man growled.  _

_ San whimpered, tears streaming down his cheeks. He looked around himself, trying to find his father, only to realize that he’d left. He’d slammed the door behind him and left San all alone with this dark man.  _

_ The small boy was scared. He his heart was hammering. He didn’t know where he was. He didn’t know who the man holding him was. Everything was new to him. This whole situation was a mess and he wished he could just go home and curl into his cold blanket.  _

_ San was given a bed. He didn’t want it. San was given food. He didn’t eat it. He just wanted his family.  _

_ “If you don’t eat your family will be sad.” The man explained a few days into San’s imprisonment, “You need your strength for what is to come. The healthier you are, the better off your family will be.” He explained.  _

_ “What’s going to happen to me?” The young boy asked, looking at the dark man. He wasn’t as scary as he’d thought, but he still didn’t like him.  _

_ “Tomorrow you’re going to be auctioned off to an affluent Vampire coven. The higher the bid, the better for your family, as they will be getting a share of the profits. As well as monthly allowance from the coven, as a thank you for their sacrifice.” The man explained, “It’s illegal and if hunters find out they’ll all be wiped out.”  _

_ San was going to be auctioned off to vampires? That was what his family had meant when they’d spoken about blood bags?  _

_ “You’ll be there for them to feed on.” The man explained, “So you have to look healthy. The healthier you look the better your blood and the more money you make.”  _

_ San ate that evening. He knew he had no other choice.  _

_ The auction wasn’t spectacular, other humans were lined up and brought out one by one. San was the youngest by far. He didn’t know if that would be a good or a bad thing. His keeper didn’t say anything either. He merely held the leash which was mandatory. Each human had a collar and leash. They were paraded around on stage by their keepers.  _

_ Many humans looked like they’d been forced into their situation, most looked miserable and afraid.  _

_ San should have been scared. He knew the normal emotion was fright, but instead he felt a sense of pride… he felt proud that he could somehow help his family. He had always burdened them and now he was able to provide for them.  _

_ Finally it was his turn and San was shown onto the stage. The keeper walked him around, much like the others had done before. He was then told to kneel while the auction went on. Sums of money San could only dream of were exclaimed, the young boy gasping with every price.  _

_ Eventually the auction closed and soon after San was united with his vampire coven.  _

_ He came face to face with a beautiful woman. Her dark, straight, hair fell to her hips, eyes large and dark as well. Her skin was pale without a single blemish. She looked beautiful. She smiled kindly at the little boy, kneeling down before him.  _

_ San didn’t flinch when he came face-to-face with a pair of fangs. He merely looked at the woman, trying to figure out what kind of a person she was. Would she hit him? Did she also have a belt like father? He hoped she didn’t. He would give her as much blood as he could, just so she wouldn’t harm him.  _

_ “Well aren’t you cute.” She smiled, “We’ll make sure to fatten you up.” She paused for a moment, hand reaching out and running through San’s dirty hair, “My coven will love you.”  _

_ San didn’t know what she meant by that. Would he be tasty? Is that what she was referring to? He hoped his blood would be to their liking. They had spent an unimaginable sum of money on him, so he could feed them and he didn’t want to ruin the one job he had.  _

_ The trip took very long, San eventually falling asleep. He was woken up hours later by the vampire and told that they’d gotten to their destination. San was met with a large, dark mansion in a dense forest, a single dirt path leading to it. The sun had set long ago, blackness engulfing everything making it hard for the young boy to see.  _

_ This was his new home.  _

_ And a home it become.  _

_ The vampires treated him with respect, nobody ever forcing him into a situation he was uncomfortable in. He was fed, one of the vampires of the coven even cooking for him, even though he couldn’t taste the food himself.  _

_ “I just love the smell and sound of food.” Jihyo had explained when San had asked him once about his hobby.  _

_ San grew up well within the confines of the mansion. The coven was like a family and treated him the same. It was a rather large coven of fifteen and a total of six ‘blood bags’, though Suyeon, the coven mother, preferred to call them part of the coven.  _

_ Once a week San or one of the other five humans got to take a walk into the nearest town to buy ingredients and food for themselves. The vampires trusted the humans not to run away and the towns people knew that those six young humans lived with vampires.  _

_ It was a tense situation, one none of them could get around. Any wrong move and a blood bath could start. The townspeople begrudgingly accepted the vampires presence, but as long as they had their blood supply and didn’t harm anyone from town, none of them would do anything. It was a tense peace.  _

_ San didn’t know how long he’d lived with the coven, but he was a grown young man. He could barely remember being a scared and sickly young child. He truly enjoyed being part of the coven. They were the family he had dreamed of. The best part? He’d never been a burden on them. He’d been useful ever since he’d been strong enough to give blood and help care for the vampires living with him.  _

_ Twice a week San would go to the basement and one of the vampires would drink from him. Just enough for them to survive without going crazy. It was never painful and the members of the coven always made sure that San, or any of the others, were alright after, making the humans eat sugary treats and helping them relax in the large backyard.  _

_ It was a peaceful life. San enjoyed every last moment of it.  _

_ He’d become especially close to one of the youngest vampires in the coven. Him and Jonghoon always joked around, kicking a ball back and forth, pranking the others. Most of the coven members didn’t mind, only a few like the ever serious, Moon Seohee, seemed to be annoyed by their antics.  _

_ “Why are you leaving?” Jonghoon whined lying down on a large couch, “You went last week, why doesn’t Hwijae or Sally go?” The young vampire was pouting dramatically, crossing his arms over his broad chest.  _

_ Jonghoon was a huge baby, his frame long and broad. He towered over everyone in the home, dark hair cut short. He was full of muscle and anyone looking at him would think he spent most of his time working out and running around the woods, when in reality he was just blessed with good genes.  _

_ “Sally is tired from you drinking half her blood last night.” San rolled his eyes, “I think Mrs. Kyunghee should teach you once more about drinking etiquette.” San had never been able to call the coven mother without some form of honorific, no matter how many times the beautiful vampire would tell him to merely call her by her first name.  _

_ Jonghoon frowned, “You’re so strict.” He muttered.  _

_ A moment Myungsoo, the oldest of the humans, came into the shared living room, “Let’s go San.” He waved towards the younger.  _

_ Myungsoo was rather quiet. He’d been part of the coven for the longest and had even asked their coven mother to turn him a few times. He didn’t want to turn old and die, he wanted to be part of the coven for forever.  _

_ San could understand the other. Living with them was truly a blessing. The mere idea of staying with his human family, suffering day in and day out… it wouldn’t have made him as happy as his life amongst the vampires had been.  _

_ “What should we get today?” San asked the older, pulling out a crumpled up notepad and a pencil. Mrs. Kyunghee had taught all the humans how to read and write, something most ‘blood bags’ in other covens didn’t have the luxury of.  _

_ “I think fruits and vegetables, some bread…” Myungsoo listed off, the younger writing it all down while walking down the rocky path into town.  _

_ It was a good half hour walk, but the humans enjoyed the sunshine on their skin. Living with vampires meant that they had a mostly nocturnal schedule, so when they did get to go out into the sun, it was truly appreciated by all six of them.  _

_ Myungsoo and San continued into town and soon waited in front of the bakery to go and grab as much bread as they would need for the coming week. The towns people knew them, knew they were the humans living with vampires and usually stayed clear of them. Those working in shops usually got them their needed supplies as quick as possible, not wanting them in their store for too long.  _

_ “I’ll go and get the vegetables!” San told Myungsoo, “You go to the butcher.”  _

_ The two split and walked in opposite directions. San didn’t like going into town too much either. Most humans stared at him. He knew he had a permanent scar where the coven inserted their fangs to drink from him and that seemed to turn all the humans off.  _

_ The young man walked by a tavern where a group of travelers were sitting, their horses drinking some water, while their owners were filling their stomachs with meat and beer. San shuddered at the group of foreigners, not liking the rifles they had by their sides.  _

_ He walked by as quick as possible, hoping none of them noticed him. He’d seen their kind before. Hunters. He knew they existed, had seen them all the time, heard horror stories form the coven about them, but he’d never gotten this close to a group of them. They exuded confidence and cockiness; San didn’t want to get too close.  _

_ The young adult thought he had passed by without a hitch when he ran right into the large frame of someone. He fell back onto his behind, looking up at a broad, bearded man. He didn’t look like any human he’d seen before. His hair was light and curly, not dark and straight, his eyes big and blue. Hair covered his whole face, making him look almost like an animal rather than a human.  _

_ The man smiled and apologized, helping San off the ground. It was clear this man had an accent. He wasn’t from this area. He was tall, taller than even Jonghoon. He had drawings all over his arms peeking out from under the sleeves he’d rolled up.  _

_ “You alright?” He asked San.  _

_ The younger only nodded, “Yes… thank you.” He wanted to walk away, he looked down and then wanted to go around this mountain of a man, but was stopped short. Blue eyes zeroed in on Sans’ neck, a frown seeming to appear on the mans face. He looked concerned at the boy and then he turned all his attention to his men.  _

_ “There is vampires here.” He exclaimed, “This boy has marks.”  _

_ San wanted to protest. He wanted this guy to leave him alone. He wanted to explain that he lived with them. He was part of the coven as their human blood bag. He liked the vampires… but he didn’t have a chance to explain himself.  _

_ “What have they done to you boy?” The man asked, his buddies all getting up moving closer to San.  _

_ “I… I live with them.” San whispered, “It’s all good.” His eyes moved from one hunter to the next, hoping they’d let him go, “I give them my blood.”  _

_ “They’ve enslaved humans to feed on?!” One of them shouted sounding outraged.  _

_ No… it wasn’t like that! San liked his life. He liked the coven. Nobody was a slave! Nobody was unhappy… no… this was all wrong!  _

_ “San!” Myungsoo rushed over noticing the group of strangers surrounding the small boy, “Let’s go back.”  _

_ San looked towards the group around him and then rushed over to his friend. He quickly clung to Myungsoo, the older glaring at the group of hunters before the pair rushed out of town as fast as they could.  _

_ “They wouldn’t listen and just… made assumptions.” San was gasping for air as Myungsoo practically ran all the way back to the mansion dragging the younger behind by the wrist.  _

_ They got to their home, door slamming shut. All the blinds were closed to make sure no sunlight got into the building, but they didn’t have much time. Those hunters would make sure to arrive as quick as possible. They were dangerous, far more dangerous than anyone else they’d ever faced.  _

_ “Quick San wake everyone!” Myungsoo told the younger, panic lacing his words.  _

_ San did as he was told, running from room to room, waking the whole coven. He didn’t care if he was being rude, but his urgency seemed to make everyone move as quick as possible.  _

_ Soon they were all assembled in the living room, Myungsoo and San explaining the situation. Mrs. Kyunghee seemed rather appalled by the whole ordeal. She growled and shook her head. These humans were under her care and for a hunter to grab one of them and inspect him like some animal was complete disrespect.  _

_ “They’ll be here soon.” Myungsoo frowned, “I think they’re on their way already… the towns people probably told them where we live.”  _

_ “Does anyone need blood?” Sally asked. She was the youngest and newest in their home. She’d been forced into prostitution until Junseo had found her and brought her to live with them. She was desperate to repay him and the coven for all they’d done for her.  _

_ “No you’re fine…” Junseo ran a hand through her dark long hair a lovely smile along his face, one he only ever reserved for Sally.  _

_ It didn’t take long for the hunters to arrive. San felt his heart hammer in his chest as he peeked out from behind the curtains, seeing the same men from the tavern, the one with the hairy face being their leader. They had their weapons out, belts with many more adorning their hips.  _

_ The sun was setting behind them, the last bits of light casting long shadows behind the scary hunters. San hadn’t been this panicked in a long time. His heart hammering in his chest, sweat running down his temples. He shuddered as he tried to seem strong, but he knew his whole frame was shaking.  _

_ “The sun is almost gone.” He whispered, the vampires all understanding though.  _

_ “Okay you guys go and hide. We don’t need any casualties.” Mrs. Kyunghee explained, “Jonghoon, Jihyo and Minhee you stay with them and protect them just in case. The rest will attack with me.”  _

_ San was ushered up into the private room of their coven mother, curling into a ball along with Sally who was sobbing into his chest. Myungsoo, Hwijae, Noel and Sora were on the other side watching apprehensively, hoping to hear anything from the fight which would, no doubt, be taking place.  _

_ The small group sat in waiting. Jonghoon let out a wince every once in a while, clearly far better equipped with his vampire hearing. San watched as the other vampire seemed to lose all colour, mouth gaping open. Whatever was happening didn’t seem to be going in their favour.  _

_ “I have to go and help!” Jonghoon finally jumped up, unable to stay still.  _

_ The others tried to stop him, but he was gone just as soon as he’d gotten up, flitting to the scene of action.  _

_ San couldn’t stand it either. He also got up, pushed the still crying Sally off, “I need to help too!” he exclaimed without a second thought and rushed out. After his friend. He slammed the door shut, and then ran down towards the entry, only to see blood everywhere, but not the blood of the hunters, but that of his coven. _

_ San let out a gasp and rushed into the kitchen where he heard a commotion. He couldn’t stop himself. He moved forward, threw his small body at the first hunter he saw, fingers digging into the humans eyes, squeezing tightly, hoping to blind the hunter, but the man grabbed San and threw him off himself and onto the ground.  _

_ Mrs. Kyunghee and Jonghoon, along with three others were fighting against hunters, doing their best, but they were clearly weaker. San didn’t know what gave these hunters such an advantage, but he wished he could help, wished he could do something.  _

_ San hit the wall, causing him to see stars for a moment. He was completely out of it, the human kicking him, muttering something about brainwashed filth. San didn’t register what had happened, he must have blacked out for a moment, but when he opened his eyes once more, he was face-to-face with the lifeless body of his best friend.  _

_ San let out a shriek, reeling back. Tears welled in his eyes. He couldn’t look away from Jonghoon. The way his broad body just seemed to be lifelessly tossed to the ground, unmoving. His eyes wide, without any life in them.  _

_ “Shut the fuck up.” One of the hunters grabbed San by his hair slapping him across the face, “Filth like you shouldn’t live either. Wanting to give yourself to the abominations.” San was hit over and over again the man enjoying the weakened cries from the younger boy, “They only want you for your blood. You’re nothing to them otherwise…”  _

_ San shook his head, “... family…” He managed to mumble, the man reaching over, wrapping a large hand around the young boys’ neck and squeezing tightly.  _

_ San remembered when he’d been awfully sick. He hadn’t been able to get out of bed and for a whole two months he hadn’t been allowed to give blood. He’d wanted to, even when he’d recovered, but the coven had decided that he had to be healthy first… their situation was so much more than ‘blood donor’... they’d cared for one another.  _

_ “Don’t make me laugh.” San’s vision was wavering, black spots on the edges of his eyes as he tried to gasp for air.  _

_ A second later the man was knocked off him, an awful cracking sound echoing in the empty kitchen.  _

_ Junseo was gasping for air, eyes dark as he looked over San and the flitted off before any of the hunters could get to him. Not a moment too late, because the large bearded man rushed inside, long sword in one hand and a small dagger in the other. Blood was all over his face, eyes wide. San could make out a manic smile.  _

_ He zeroed in on his dead companion and then he looked over towards San. He snarled and then jumped at the smaller.  _

_ Adrenaline fueled the younger and he rolled out of the way, but still managed to get cut by the man. He shouted something in a language San didn’t understand and then followed his attack with another swing of his weapon. San couldn’t avoid it this time, moving far slower than he wanted to. He was cut by the dagger, the man following his attack up by stabbing the young human in the stomach.  _

_ San shouted in pain, the hunter pulling his sword out and then leaving San behind, no time to make sure he was truly dead.  _

_ San knew he was crying. Air was hard to come by, lungs filling with blood. Everything hurt. His whole body was on fire. He wanted to die… in that very moment, the only thing which made sense was death. His coven was being slaughtered in their own home, the one place they’d felt safe, all because San had to encounter these bloodthirsty hunters.  _

_ These vampires, this coven had never hurt anyone. They’d merely saved people from a life they’d never wanted and in exchange they took some of their blood. They’d become a family… and San was ready to die with them.  _

_ “Drink…” San managed to move his head, eyes widening when he saw Jonghoon, the vampire had been dead… San had seen his lifeless body. He’d seen the empty eyes.  _

_ Jonghoon cracked one last smile, “Not…” He coughed, “This… easy to kill..” the vampire stuttered out. He then cut at his own wrist blood leaking out in small droplets, “You’ve… you’ve given me… so much… take some.” The vampire was struggling.  _

_ The vampires wrist was brought to San’s lips, the dying human taking in the blood. It tasted weird. He didn’t like it. He didn’t want to drink from Jonghoon. The other wasn’t going to live much longer, it was obvious from how he was struggling. And yet here he was, helping San.  _

_ The human knew what this meant, knew that he would be turned. He would survive… while his family died. Jonghoon was making a sacrifice. He was letting himself die, just so San could live. And San would honor his best friend for the rest of his life.  _

*** 

San and Hongjoong found some more game to hunt and quickly filled all of their bags of blood. The younger felt sick to his stomach the entire time, images of his past playing behind his eyes when he so much as blinked. The images of blood and dead vampires everywhere… 

No, this couldn’t happen again. Not to his coven. 

“We’re going to be alright… right?” San finally asked Hongjoong once they’d filled the last of the bags. 

Hongjoong sighed. He looked at the younger, wanting to reassure him. He knew what San had gone through. He’d found him years after the incident and he’d taken him in. He wanted to protect San from any harm once more. Losing one coven was hard, Hongjoong didn’t want the younger to go through something so traumatic a second time. 

“We’ll be prepared. We will do anything to survive.” Hongjoong sighed, “I promise.” 

San could feel himself shake, “So you don’t know… you can’t promise me that we will be okay.” 

It broke Hongjoongs heart to know that San was in pain. The younger was usually so carefree, him and Wooyoung joking around all the time, playing tricks on the others. He wanted them to grow into old and fatigued vampires like himself, but he knew he couldn’t make empty promises. He knew he had to be realistic. 

“At the moment I can’t promise you anything.” Hongjoong explained. 

“This is all Yunho’s fault.” San frowned crossing his arms across his chest, “If he hadn’t gone off and fallen for that lanky one…” 

Hongjoong chuckled, “Don’t go around blaming Yunho. Plus he doesn't even know Mingi… he has merely appreciated his body thus far. It’s still far from love.” 

“Oh please… he looks at him like he wants to eat him.” San muttered and then turned to go back to their small home. They had to prepare. They had to come up with a plan, just in case anything would go wrong… in case those hunters did find their home. 

This time San was stronger… this time San would be able to protect his coven. He would be there for them. No matter what. Even those newcomers… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this whole thing is just a flashback basically... honestly I could have written probably like a 15K piece just about San growing up in a coven...... I really had to hold back... hope you liked it anyways! I swear next chapter will have some Mingi/Yunho love moments.............. :) 
> 
> If you have any suggestions, don't be afraid to message me on [Tumblr](https://ssg-crown.tumblr.com/)


	4. V I E R

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola! I'm back with another chapter. 
> 
> This one is a bit bleh, because I am dehydrated as fuck... thanks heatwave... 
> 
> Hope you like it anyways. 
> 
> Kudos and Comments make me v happy \^_^/

Mingi was leaning back against the back of the couch. His whole body was aching. His strength was slightly replenished thanks to the blood he’d been given, but Jongho was right and the blood did taste odd. He could get used to it though. He’d had worse. Hunger was worse. 

He knew his injuries were bad. He knew there was a fat chance he could completely heal from any of this. But he had to try, he couldn’t hold his coven back. He had to be there for Jongho, protect the younger, even if he was stronger than Mingi. 

The tall Vampire sighed looking around. His vision was impaired due to the plaster over his right eye, the whole side of his face seemed swollen, the area around the eye feeling far more sensitive than anything else on his body. The fear of blindness gripped Mingi tightly, but he refused to finish that thought whenever it so much as sprung into his conscious. 

The longer he denied it, the better it would be. He could dream and live life as he had for the past few years, with Soenghwa-hyung and Jongho by his side. The three were a tight knit coven. Seonghwa had been their saviour and showed Mingi and Jongho what freedom was. They had to make it out of this mess… 

“The others aren’t back yet.” Yunho, the tall vampire from the other coven walked into the dimly lit living room. 

Wooyoung and Jongho had scurried off not too long ago, the two seemed to have befriended one another quite quickly, both gossiping about the behaviour of their hyungs. Mingi couldn’t help but feel relief, knowing that Jongho still held onto his social skills throughout all those years being stuck with just him and Seonghwa. 

Jongho deserved friends. He deserved a better life than what was handed to him. Jongho was such a sweet kid, he was so promising and yet this vampire life seemed to have ripped everything from him. Mingi just wanted to shelter Jongho and show him the positives in life. 

“I hope they come back soon.” Yunho mumbled, “The sun is going to come up in an hour or two…” He trailed off and then walked over to Mingi, the younger of the two merely staring straight ahead, trying not to move. He didn’t want the other to know just how painful all his injuries were. 

They weren’t healing which was the most worrisome part. Normally, Mingi would heal within minutes. He’d been hit, whipped and tortured plenty. He’d been hurt so much throughout his life, but these cuts and bruises weren’t going away nearly fast enough. 

“You’re pretty quiet…” Yunho smiled towards the other tall vampire. 

Mingi wasn’t quiet… usually. But the thought of talking was exhausting. Not to mention how his heart rate just seemed to quicken at the mere sight of Yunho. He was unnaturally handsome. His sweet smile, perfect jaw and just how broad he was. All of it seemed to excite Mingi in ways he really didn’t need to deal with at a time like that. 

“Everything hurts.” Mingi muttered, pouting and turning his head to look at Yunho. 

Mingi thought he’d go blind in the left eye at the mere sight of Yunho, showered and clean in a plaid shirt, the first few buttons undone showing off sinful soft and white skin. It wasn’t fair for Yunho to look so perfect while Mingi was slowly rotting away on the couch, probably dirty and smelly. 

“You’ve gone through a lot it’s understandable.” Yunho smiled towards the younger. Mingi thought he was dying and watching an angel sit beside him. Seriously, a beautiful and sweet vampire like Yunho didn’t exist, it was scientifically impossible. 

Mingi shifted, trying to get into a better position, only to have his whole left side go up in flames at the mere movement. It was like his body was slowly deteriorating instead of healing like it was supposed to.

Of course Yunho jumped right to his rescue, arms reaching out to steady the hurt vampire. 

“Let me help.” Yunho mumbled and helped position Mingi in a much more comfortable position, the two awfully close. 

Mingi couldn’t help but feel self conscious. He hadn’t showered in what felt like years, he was still in his dirty clothes and he was awfully malnourished. It had been hard for their coven to get food in the past few weeks, hence why they’d ventured into slightly dangerous territory to get some rations… but that had only ended up with them being hunted down. 

He forgot that hunting season had started only a few days prior. Hunting season was the worst, only a few countries still allowed for hunting season… it was disgusting and inhumane, to have a designated time of the year where it was allowed, even looked upon in a positive way. 

Humans from all over the planet would come in groups of four or five, guns and blades at the ready, all for a bit of sport. Mingi had forgotten all about hunting season and how the vampire death rates seemed to rise whenever it was hunting season. 

The bullshit reason ‘to keep the vampire population in check’ was laughable. It was nothing but torture for fun. It was disgusting. Plain and simple, MIngi had no other words for it. 

“Are you alright?” Yunho asked for what felt like the millionth time. 

Mingi hadn’t realized that his breathing had gone ragged, eyes wide and forlorn at his musings, trying to understand what humans were doing to vampires. 

“I just…” Mingi took a few calming breaths, hand subconsciously moving and gripping onto the slightly bigger one of Yunho, “I just couldn’t stop thinking about those hunters… how it’s all my fault.” He whispered, tears welling in his good eye. 

Yunho frowned moving closer to the hurt vampire, “It’s not your fault that those hunters are killing and torturing vampires. It’s nobody’s fault. It’s those humans fault for thinking that hunting and killing other living beings is an okay thing to do. We can’t do anything about our situation and it is not right for us to be literally slaughtered for game.” 

Mingi felt his chest constrict. He wanted to agree so badly with Yunho, wanted to curl up with him and agree, but it was his fault. He had been caught. He’d tried to be greedy and get some blood for his coven, even after Seonghwa-hyung had specifically told him to stay put. He’d alerted them onto their trail. 

“Even if you did something to make them notice you, it’s still not your fault.” Yunho growled eyes ablaze with rage. 

Mingi hadn’t realized that he’d said his last thoughts out loud, sobs bubbling up. He tried to calm down, wanted to be strong, but he couldn’t hold back the tears or the shaking cries. Yunho moved even closer, making sure to be careful with the others hurt body, long fingers curling into his dirty hair. 

“Hyung… he told me not to go.” Mingi whimpered, “But Jongho… he was so hungry… I couldn’t just watch.” Mingi explained through his tears. 

Yunho nodded, “That’s understandable. Seonghwa-hyung was probably just scared for you. He is your coven leader so he would do anything to try and protect you guys. But you’re here now and hurt so you don’t need to shoulder all this guilt.” 

“You’re in danger because of me.” Mingi whimpered, looking up at the older vampire, small eye filled with tears and nothing but pain, both physical and emotional. Had Mingi run off on his own to try and atone for his mistake? Was he injured like this because deep down he believed he deserved to be punished for bringing misfortune on his coven? 

It was possible. Mingi seemed to take things very personal, from the short time Yunho had known him and from what Jongho had explained, but Yunho wished the younger just acted a tad more selfish. If he was more selfish he might still have his right eye. 

“Don’t worry about us. You need to be healthy. You need to get better first and then we will find a way out of this situation.” Yunho reasoned with the younger, pulling him as close as he could without hurting him too much. 

The pair stayed seated together for a while, both waiting for the others to get back. Mingi was breathing normally once more, eyes focused on the blocked window, thoughts racing the entire time. It must have been awhile since Seonghwa-hyung and the others went to hunt, why weren’t they back yet? The sun would come up soon. 

“Why aren’t they back?” Mingi finally whispered. 

Yunho shrugged, “Not sure, but we do need a lot of extra blood so they’re probably just getting extra.” He explained, “Now… how about while we wait we get you cleaned up? I’ve got some clothes for you that will fit and I’ll help you take a bath. Yeosang said to clean the cuts as well since it’s important to keep them tidy.” Yunho shuffled out from behind Mingi, making sure not to jostle the hurt vampire. He then stuck out his hands and helped Mingi to his feet. 

They were almost the same height, Yunho maybe a centimeter or two taller. He wrapped an arm around Mingi and the two managed to make it up the stairs. Yelling could be heard from Wooyoung and San’s room, probably the youngest two being obnoxious. 

Mingi chuckled, happy to know that Jongho was finally alongside someone who was around his age. He deserved it, deserved to let go and just act his age. He was still a kid in vampire age, yet he was far too mature, forced to grow up from the moment he was turned. 

Mingi was pulled into a large bathroom with a giant bathtub in a corner. The tub was long enough for him to stretch out his obnoxiously long legs. 

“I made Hongjoong-hyung build a long tub so I could enjoy a bath too.” Yunho boasted. 

Mingi couldn’t help the smile flash across his face. He was leaning against the counter, using a lot of energy just to stay upright, while Yunho filled the tub with water and soap. Finally it was full enough and the older vampire ushered Mingi to take off his clothes and then sit down in the water. 

“I’ll be right back.” Yunho whispered, averting his eyes from Mingi, far too shy to look at the others naked form. 

Mingi was beautiful, all lean muscle. Even with the bruises, cuts and bullet wounds. Yunho just thought Mingi was perfect. 

The older came back with a long sleeved shirt and some shorts for Mingi. Yunho couldn’t help and stop to marvel at the younger. Mingi was sitting in the tub, head leaning back, eye closed. He was completely relaxed in the warm water, enjoying the moment of silence. 

“Got you some clothes.” The younger flinched, obviously having missed the door opening and closing. 

“Thanks.” Mingi blushed, looking down at the darkening water. All the grime and dirt washing off. It felt good to finally be clean once more, but it was also embarrassing, just how dirty he’d been. How he’d let himself go. 

Yunho helped Mingi out of the tub, handed him a large towel, the younger drying himself off before stepping into the pants the other had brought him. He did need help with the shirt though, his arms not cooperating at all. It hurt to merely lift them a bit, no way was he able to put the shirt on alone. 

Thankfully Yunho was an angel and helped the struggling younger vampire, making sure to be as gentle as possible. He was so sweet, Mingi thought he would melt at how amazing Yunho was acting. How caring he was. 

They made it back down to the living room where Jongho and Wooyoung were sitting once more, the two obviously done being loud and obnoxious in their own room upstairs. 

The youngest immediately glued himself to Mingi, doting on him, even if the older didn’t seem to want the other to constantly nag. 

“Yah!” Mingi hissed, “I’m your hyung.” Mingi pouted at the younger who only chuckled and continued to wrap a thick wool blanket around the other. 

“I need to take care of hyung.” He muttered, “You’ve taken care of me my whole life, let me repay you.” He added on, patting the older boy on the head. 

Mingi smiled fondly and rolled his eyes letting Jongho care for him and dote on him. 

*** 

_ “You need to learn some god damn respect.” A large man growled stepping towards the muzzled vampire being chained up against the wall. He took a blade doused in holy water and cut along his pale skin.  _

_ Mingi groaned at the sight. The boy was just a few days old. He was a brand new vampire. He was hungry! He wasn’t acting out on purpose but a human wouldn’t understand. A human wouldn’t be able to comprehend what it felt like to be turned only to be sold off as a human pet.  _

_ The tall vampire wanted to speak out. Looking at the chained up vampire broke his heart. He was so young. He was a baby, a fledgling and Mingi couldn’t do anything for him. If the baby didn’t learn to cooperate he’d be discarded… he’d be killed and labeled as un-usable.  _

_ Mingi couldn’t let that happen. He didn’t want to watch as another vampire came and went, being turned and then just killed since humans didn’t seem to understand that it took time to get used to a new body, a new life.  _

_ “Master.” Mingi spoke up, body shaking.  _

_ Mingi had been with his master long enough. He didn’t need to wear a muzzle. He’d been groomed to perfection. He was his masters proudest masterpiece. Mingi was obedient, he did as he was told, never stepped out of line. He was ‘perfect’ in the eyes of a human dealer.  _

_ The man whipped around, eyes ablaze. It was rare for Mingi to open his mouth. It wasn’t allowed. He was meant to be seen, meant to be used, never was he meant to speak. The vampire was not entitled to his own feelings or thoughts.  _

_ “Master please…” Mingi begged, “Give him time.” The tall vampire went down to his knees, hands clasped together, hoping to look as obedient and submissive as he could. He just wanted to protect this one vampire. He’d failed so many before this fledgeling. He had to at least try for him.  _

_ Mingi had been there when his master had picked the boy up from the streets. He’d literally kidnapped him away from his family, all in the hopes of creating a perfect vampire to sell. A vampire to make money off of.  _

_ “I don’t have time!” The human shouted at the whimpering vampire before him, “I need him ready for the next auction. I need to make money off him.”  _

_ “Then… give him my rations.” Mingi begged, “He’ll be good if he isn’t hungry.”  _

_ The human stopped for a moment and regarded his pet vampire. He watched with total disdain as Mingi curled in on himself, begging like a useless piece of trash.  _

_ “Fine. He’ll get your rations.” The human agreed. He better behave by the time the next auction comes ‘round. Or else it’ll be the end for both of you.”  _

_ Mingi gulped, eyes wide. He nodded, silently thanking his master for agreeing with his plan. Sure, Mingi would be very hungry, but he was old enough to know how to survive without a few weeks without meals. He would be fine.  _

_ The human walked off, not sparing either vampire one last glance. He closed the heavy metal door, “I’ll come get you in an hour pet.” He growled.  _

_ Mingi nodded tears welling in his eyes knowing why his master would get him. He didn’t like it, didn’t want to be abused, but he was powerless. It was either make it through all this torture and eventually be free or die. There was still a tiny spark within Mingi of hope, that one day he’d be free, that someone would help and rescue them.  _

_ “Why did you do that?” The kid growled, ripping at the chains, but unable to do anything to them. He slumped back against the wall. He was shorter than Mingi, but looked far more buff. His arms seemed to be nothing but muscle. His eyes fierce, defiance evident.  _

_ “I… I can’t watch them kill another one.” Mingi whimpered, “I am powerless…” He added on, “This is the only thing I can do.”  _

_ The young vampire rolled his eyes, “You’re a vampire you can just drink their blood.”  _

_ If only it was so simple. If only Mingi could just drink their blood and kill them. If only he had that power. He wished. He had tried to fight them, years ago he’d tried to free himself, but it had only made everything worse. He’d been tortured for months straight, every single day nothing but death just waiting at the door, but never entering to take him. Someone like this fledgeling wouldn’t understand. He was young and hadn’t realized just what these people were capable of.  _

_ “It’s not that easy…” Mingi whimpered, “Just… please try and behave. It’s hard and it’ll hurt but anything is better than what they’ll do to you.”  _

_ “I’d rather fucking die than live as some blood sucking leech.” Jongho growled, “I know what your kind does. You drink blood and kill people. I’d rather that asshole human kills me right now. I can’t have my family ever see me like this. I’d rather die than have anyone ever find out I was turned into one of you.”  _

_ Mingi felt like crying. He knew that the younger had been abducted and forced to become a vampire. He’d had Mingi’s blood shoved down his throat. How many vampires had Mingi’s blood running through their veins? He wondered sometimes how many vampire’s he’d actually sired… he didn’t want to think about the amount of dead vampires he’d sired.  _

_ His master made sure to always take samples of blood from Mingi, incase he ever saw a human he thought looked promising to sell. Hell, sometimes he even took requests… it was sick and disgusting. Humans buying vampires, keeping them as pets in their homes, chained up to torture and hurt, since it was legal to kill a vampire. Nobody ever said anything against it, not even when it took literal decades for a vampire to die.  _

_ “I’m sorry…” Mingi felt like crying, “I’m sorry… it’s my fault.” He whimpered, “Master he… he took my blood…”  _

_ The muzzled vampire chuckled darkly, “So you’re my vampire father?”  _

_ “Either me or Jiayi… he’s also a vampire our master trusts.”  _

_ The young vampire didn’t seem amused, “Well thanks a fuck then… I hope your master or whatever ends my life as quick as possible.”  _

_ The young vampire was called Jongho. He had lived a good life with his family. He loved them, went to a good school, got along with his siblings. He was a decent student, best at gym class. He was a nice kid, a good human… and yet he was captured, all because he’d caught the eye of a vampire dealer.  _

_ Mingi had tried over and over to get through to the younger vampire. But Jongho continued to refuse all the meals. Master forced Mingi along every single time it was time for Jongho to feed. Mingi was the one who had to give the blood to the younger, but Jongho refused.  _

_ He was irritable due to lack of blood. He was just a young vampire who wanted everything to end, but Mingi wasn’t ready to have another vampire die. He didn’t want to watch as someone else leave.  _

_ Jiayi, the other vampire whom their master had taken a liking to, was also trying to coax Jongho to drink whenever he could. The older vampire was kind and sweet, trying everything to help Mingi in his plight to save Jongho, but the fledgeling refused.  _

_ Mingi felt his stomach constrict as he was forced to go along with his master once more to feed Jongho. He was so tired, so sick and so hungry, but he knew that Jongho must have been feeling even worse, newly turned and in constant distress… this wasn’t a life.  _

_ “Please…” Mingi begged, “Please drink.”  _

_ Jongho spat at the other, “In your dreams.” his voice was weak. So unlike the first days when he’d shouted and growled. He was losing all strength due to lack of nutrition.  _

_ “He’s not eating again Mingi-yah?” Their master growled, “I guess I’ll just have to hurt him then.”  _

_ Mingi gasped and shook his head, “Master, hurt me!” He shouted, jumping in front of Mingi, “I haven’t been doing my job right. I am at fault.” Mingi begged tears welling in his eyes, “Please master it’s my fault.”  _

_ The human shrugged, not caring who it was. He just wanted to hurt someone and if this vampire decided he wanted to be punished, then he would be the one to be hurt. Someone had to be punished.  _

_ Two guards grabbed Mingi, pulling his shirt off him, as well as his pants and underwear. He was completely nude when their master reached over and grabbed a whip doused in holy water. The man reached and began to slap it across the vampires back.  _

_ Mingi was on all fours, lip between his teeth, muffling every single sound wanting to escape his lips. He didn’t want to anger his master more by making any noises. No, he had to stay as quiet as possible. If he made a noise then his master would turn to Jongho.. The poor vampire was just a boy turned against his will and thrust into the worst situation imaginable, even for a human.  _

_ Mingi collapsed onto the ground, arms unable to hold himself up. He wasn’t healing like he normally was due to lack of nutrition. He was cold, he was tired and hungry. Everything was aching.  _

_ His master growled and stalked over, kicking at Mingi, “Get up!” He shouted, the vampire pushing himself upright, arms shaking due to exerting himself.  _

_ He glanced over at the wall where Jongho was chained up, the younger watching with wide eyes. He hadn’t seen Mingi being punished yet, hadn’t witnessed the horrors of their master. This was the first time the other had lost his temper and taken it out on Mingi in front of the younger.  _

_ Mingi was happy though that he could protect Jongho from this. He was happy to know that the other vampire didn’t have to go through this pain. Jongho, though he was rough and cruel with his words, he still didn’t deserve to be hurt. He didn’t deserve anything like this.  _

_ Eventually Mingi did pass out, his limp body was left behind, his master leaving the vampires in the room.  _

_ When Mingi came to, he noticed Jongho curled up against the wall, eyes wide with shock. Jiayi, who had been quiet throughout everything was sitting by the wall, eyes wide as well.  _

_ Jiayi had been a vampire their master had bought from a chinese trader. He was quiet and obedient, but his korean was awful. Their master often took out his anger on him whenever the other didn’t understand what was needed from him. Even though he couldn’t talk to Mingi, the duo had formed a bond to help one another out as much as they could.  _

_ Knowing that Jongho could be either his or Jiayi’s sired vampire made both try anything and everything in their power to protect him. He was a boy close to their age, someone who was still innocent. They had to protect him.  _

_ “Why did you do that?” It was Jongho’s favourite question. He just loved to question Mingi and his actions.  _

_ Mingi groaned, trying to sit up, but unable to. He was too tired, too hurt.  _

_ “You don’t deserve this… you don’t deserve to be here like this.” Mingi whispered, “I can’t watch them hurt you. You’re young, headstrong… you need to keep this spirit.” He whimpered when he tried to move.  _

_ Jiayi rushed over, the chinese vampire helping Mingi up, eyes darting between Jongho and Mingi, following the conversation along. He’d gotten better at understanding korean, a necessity with their master, but he still rarely spoke.  _

_ He’d been beaten multiple times for saying a wrong word or pronouncing something wrong, almost leaving him mute. But without his support, Mingi wouldn’t know where he’d be. The other vampire had been with their master for just as long as Mingi, he knew how bad it could get.  _

_ “You’re insane… you don’t just…” Jongho was lost for words.  _

_ “I can’t have another vampire die… I need to help you live so maybe you can get out of here.” Mingi whispered, “You have a chance… some… some of the people at the auctions, they’re good humans… you can escape.”  _

_ Jongho rolled his eyes, “I told you. I don’t want to live as some blood sucking leech.”  _

_ “Please…” Mingi begged, “I know… I know you didn’t choose this life. It was forced on you… but please try and escape… try to live.”  _

_ The younger vampire rolled his eyes and didn’t say anything else. Jiayi and Mingi were eventually picked up to go and assist their master in whatever needs he desired. Mingi felt sick whenever he was called into his masters private quarters.  _

_ He didn’t like how he was put on display for other rich assholes to oggle at. He was nothing but a trophy. Something to show off. His master loved it most when Jainhong and Mingi were in their large cages, almost like oversized bird cages, and performed to sensual music.  _

_ Their clothes were stripped, everything bare to the viewers and while those rich and disgusting humans would play cards, talk business and smoke cigars, the vampires would have to dance, and entertain, even if they were hungry and in pain. The bruises and marks only seemed to make their master happier, showing off just how strong and in control he was in comparison to a beast like a vampire.  _

_ Mingi felt so degraded throughout it all. He looked down, did as he was told, hoping that he wouldn’t be hurt anymore than he already had been. He felt his stomach growl in hunger throughout the evening. He was tired, body aching. Thankfully the wounds were healing quite well, even with lack of nutrition.  _

_ One more week and it would be time for the auction. Jongho would be sold off to the highest bidder and he would be free from this place. He would be able to escape, Mingi was sure of that. Jongho was smart and strong, he would be able to get away. He would be able to live.  _

_ Mingi was forced along once more to try and feed Jongho. Jiayi wasn’t allowed to tag along, the quiet chinese vampire forced to ‘service’ some VIP guests of their master. Mingi was shaking when he’d heard their master mention this. He felt so sick that the other was forced into these situations.  _

_ Mingi took the bag of blood given to him and walked towards Jongho. He stuck the straw in and then held it out to the young and hurting vampire.  _

_ Jongho glared at their master, then turned his steely gaze towards Mingi before leaning forward and letting himself drink. He was doing the one thing he’d told Mingi he would never do. He was drinking blood. Taking sips, literally gulping the food down.  _

_ His eyes moved from Mingi to their master, glaring towards the human. He finished the bag of blood in record time, “Fuck. You.” He told the man.  _

_ Their master smirked, “You finally caved in.” He took a few steps towards the young vampire.  _

_ Mingi was shaking, not liking the situation. He didn’t want to get another beating, but if Jongho continued to run his mouth then Mingi would have no other choice but to throw himself in front of Jongho to try and protect the younger at all costs.  _

_ “I’m not doing it for you, you piece of shit.” Jongho growled, “I’m doing it for him.” He nodded at Mingi.  _

_ His master raised a brow, “I see… you swore you wouldn’t be a leech and yet here you are turning out to be just like one.”  _

_ “Fucking piece of shit!” Jongho lurched forward, the chains holding him back, “You made me this way!”  _

_ Their master didn’t like that at all, and reached out for his favourite knife, wanting to slice at Jongho, but Mingi moved quickly, knowing each and every movement of their master, having been under his care for the last decade and a half.  _

_ The older let out a groan when the knife lodged into his arm. He’d thrown himself over Jongho, protecting the younger at all costs. He looked up and smiled at the younger. He would do anything to help him get out of there alive and hopefully find a better life. Hopefully Jongho could figure out how to run away from whoever would purchase him.  _

_ Jongho drank each and every bit of blood given to him. His eyes ablaze with rage. He continued to swear at their master, not even caring for the consequences. Mingi tried his best to protect Jongho, but the younger kicked at Mingi, making the older stumble back.  _

_ Jongho took the hits. He took the pain and didn’t give any satisfactory reaction to their master. He was challenging him every single step of the way and it only infuriated their master even more.  _

_ Finally the day of the auction. Mingi, Jiayi and Jongho were herded into a large truck, taken to the place where the youngest would be sold.  _

_ Jongho was chained up, still muzzled. He was angry and kicking as they put him in the car. Mingi only wished he would calm down by the time he was going to be auctioned off. Nobody wanted a rowdy vampire… it would mean death for the younger.  _

_ None of them were allowed to speak to one another, it would mean a beating if they did, but all three vampires sent one another encouraging looks.  _

_ Mingi and Jiayi wouldn’t be sold off, merely rented out to anyone who wanted their services for a night, while Jongho would be sold off completely, along with other vampires from other traders. It was a whole underground community, a community filled with rich and disgusting people.  _

_ First off, all the vampires were lined up in small cages, the humans walking between them. Mingi lost sight of Jongho, since the younger was in a different section of the auction. Humans walked by, looking into each cage, discussing the worth of the frightened vampires.  _

_ Mingi hated these auctions, hated this whole ‘community’ and what they did to living beings. Like a vampire wasn’t worth any freedom, merely because they dranks blood… they couldn’t go out in the sunlight… but other than that they weren’t much different. Vampires loved, vampires had families. Vampires had emotions.  _

_ The auction went by in a blur. Some rich woman managed to buy Jiayi for a night, while Mingi was left with a large man who wanted to watch him dance. It wasn’t the worst he’d endured, but he didn’t want to do it either way.  _

_ Jiayi was silently crying, trying to hold back sobs. He didn’t want to go. He didn’t want to be hurt over and over again. The woman had loudly proclaimed her love for blood and how she enjoyed watching vampires bleed, only for their wounds to heal back up right away.  _

_ Mingi reached out from his cage, hand curling into the trembling one of his chinese friend.  _

_ Mingi was worried for Jongho. He couldn’t stop thinking about the younger vampire and the fate which had come upon him. He hadn’t seen him anymore, Mingi only wished the other had behaved well enough to have gotten a somewhat decent bid… he prayed the other got a good future.  _

_ Moments later, as the two vampires wallowed in sadness, someone they knew all too well appeared.  _

_ Mingi couldn’t help but widen his eyes at the sight of Jongho, without a muzzle for once, gripping onto the hand of another man. The two rushed towards the cage of Mingi, Jongho reaching out and then ripping the lock open, hurrying to do the same to the one of Jiayi.  _

_ “What’s happening?” Mingi felt his heart hammer in his chest, eyes wide. He looked over at Jiayi, the older shrugging, getting out.  _

_ “We need to run.” Jongho growled, “I’ll explain.” The man behind Jongho smiled, eyes kind. He was beautiful, skin white as snow, a body to die for and a jawline to cut diamonds. He was the perfect human…  _

_ Jiayi tugged at Mingi’s hand, the quiet chinese vampire urging his friend to follow the youngest and the stranger before anyone noticed they were gone. They hid in shadows, ran around in what felt like circles until they were away from the hidden area, outside of the auction grounds.  _

_ The four ran as quick as they could, Jiayi and Mingi tired from lack of food for so long, while Jongho seemed to also be labouring. The human was the strongest amongst all of them, silently urging them to rush and get away.  _

_ “We need to hurry before they notice any of you are gone. They’ll know it was Jongho who freed you guys… and they’ll know I helped since I paid for Jongho.” The guy explained when it looked like Mingi was about to collapse, “I have friends waiting for me, they’ll be able to help you.” The man added on.  _

_ Eventually they made it to a small dirt road where an old car was waiting for them. A short man with dark hair, pale skin and large eyes jumped out. He gasped when he saw the three vampires with his friend.  _

_ “This is my friend Linmo… he’s from China, said he’s looking for someone here in Korea.” The guy who had bought Jongho explained.  _

_ Jiayi looked around Mingi and towards the shorter guy who got out of his car. The young vampire gasped, letting out a loud screech before his long legs launched him towards the shorter guy who also gasped at the sight of the haggard looking vampire.  _

_ They fell into one another's arms, sobbing. Mingi was completely and utterly lost, but a knot in his chest loosened at the sight. This man knew Jiayi? This was someone who had come to Korea looking for his friend? He’d come to find the lost vampire, and rescue him? Mingi knew that there were coven’s out there who felt so strongly for one another, but he’d never experienced love like that. He felt Jiayi deserved it though.  _

_ “I’m Seonghwa… I hope you guys are alright.” The man turned to Mingi and then to Jongho, critical eye looking over the pair.  _

_ “You rescued us.” Mingi whispered, “Yeah… thank this guy. I was just going to go in and look around, since it’s dangerous to be around so many vampire traders, but I couldn’t help and feel the need to rescue a vampire so young… then he said something about needing to rescue his friends... “  _

_ Mingi turned to Jongho, the younger blushing, looking away from him, “Fuck off…” He muttered, clearly not wanting to be the ‘hero’ of this whole scenario.  _

*** 

Mingi was falling back asleep, the sun coming up pretty soon. He felt his eyes close, but he forced them to stay open. He didn’t feel safe… he needed to know where Seonghwa-hyung was. He couldn’t feel safe without the older around. 

“They’re still not back…” Wooyoung worried, “I don’t have a good feeling about this.” 

“Hongjoong-hyung knows how to handle the forest… he’ll be fine… and he will make sure the others are okay.” Yunho told the younger, but also tried to calm his own racing heart down. 

The four sat close together, Mingi leaning heavily on Yunho, while Wooyoung had an arm wrapped around Jongho, the youngest quietly glaring at the entrance into the living room, as though that would make the other group of four appear quicker. 

Just as the tension got too much, the door burst open. 

Wooyoung jumped off the couch, flitting towards the entry where he saw two figures rush inside, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. 

“Hongjoong-hyung! San-ie!” Wooyoung grinned, “Where have you been we were worried!” 

“We just got a bit more blood. To make sure we’ve got enough.” Hongjoong wiped his forehead, cracking his back, eyes looking around the living room, spotting Jongho, Yunho and Mingi on the couch. 

He frowned at the headcount, then turned to the youngest of his coven, “Where is Yeosang and Seonghwa..?” 

Dead silence, all looked between one another. Nobody else had come by. They were the first to come back from the hunt. 

Yeosang and Seonghwa had never come back with their load of blood. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this was alright, any mistakes just let me know :)


	5. F Ü N F

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello ~~ I know it's been a hot minute since I've updated this and I'm sorry. 
> 
> I hope people are still reading this.... ahaha anyways enjoy this filler chapter. Next one is gonna be better I swear (and hopefully it'll be out sooner)

Yunho shot off the couch, eyes wide as he realized that Yeosang was missing. His best friend, the person closest to him wasn’t around and Yunho had let it all happen. He’d let it get to this place. 

He felt horrible, disgusting even bile rising. He had to go out there, had to search and find Yeosang. Yunho had been sure that the slightly younger Vampire would be fine, that he could handle being out there, even with the threat of the hunters. Yeosang was clever and strong, he knew how to take care of himself. 

The two had gone through so much and Yunho felt like he’d abandoned his closest friend. He should have known, should have felt it in his heart that Yeosang was in trouble. 

Hongjoong collapsed onto the couch face pale, breathing heavily. He groaned, burying his face in his hands, whole body going rigid. The oldest pulled a pillow over his face screaming into it, letting his frustrations out, but Yunho knew it wasn’t enough. 

Hongjoong would blame himself. He was their coven leader, their father figure and he’d let one of them get hurt. Worst case even get killed. Nobody was sure what would happen, since Hunters were unpredictable and vile creatures with no remorse. 

“We have to save them!” Jongho exclaimed, the youngest eager to sink his fangs into anyone who so much as dared touch a single strand of hair on his coven mothers’ head. He’d always been strong and a bit of a hot head, of course he would barge into a fight willingly without a second thought, if it meant he could save one of the people closest to him. 

“Mingi is still too weak.” Wooyoung muttered. 

“Screw me. We have to go and help! We can find their trail, follow it... “ Mingi stated trying to stand tall, wincing when the side of his face exploded with pain. 

He could tell how swollen his face was, his body screaming at him to just lie down once more and rest. But Mingi couldn’t do that. He couldn’t rest and lay easy, knowing that Seonghwa was in danger. 

“Following them is exactly what they’ll want.” San growled, “It’ll be a trap.” 

“Good.” Mingi growled, “I’ll go right into their dumb trap. They won’t think you guys exist. Hell they don’t even know you guys exist!” 

“Hyung have you gone completely fucking mental?” Jongho rushed over to his friend, his brother, eyes wide, “You like getting hurt or some shit? No. We need a decent plan and you need to fucking rest.” 

Mingi brushed the younger off, wanting to retaliate, say something back, but he knew that Jongho would only fire back. The two had gotten into plenty of arguments over the years, Seonghwa usually letting them scream it out until it got too much and then intervened. 

“You’re both idiots.” San rolled his eyes at the arguing duo, “I’m not going anywhere with Mingi, he’s just going to slow me down.” He added on glaring at the large vampire, “I can easily evade those hutners with my speed, but I can’t do that if idiots like you are in my way.” He pointed at Mingi. 

The taller wanted to say something, to scream and shout. He felt so frustrated, so useless. He was the one who had caused all of this. He was at fault for this mess. Had he listened to Seonghwa-hyung from the get go, then none of this would have happened. 

“This is all my fault. I want to make this better somehow.” Mingi whined, unable to fight anymore. The way everyone just seemed to be against him helping made him all the more angry. He had to escape, had to help somehow. 

“Everyone just be quiet.” Hongjoong’s voice was low but filled with authority making all the younger vampires pause in their insults and stare at him, waiting for their orders. Hongjoong was the authority figure, anything he said would be what they would do. They would have to follow him, even Mingi and Jongho. 

“What should we do hyung?” Yunho asked, voice shaking as he looked towards the oldest. 

“We are going to rest. I don’t have the energy to go out again right away and half of Mingi’s face is swollen beyond belief, not to mention San must be tired from running at high speeds for so long.” Hongjoong stated, “We won’t be of much help exhausted. We need all the strength we’ve got to rescue the others. We don’t even know fully what happened, we need to gather information first.” 

San nodded next to the oldest, “Alright… we’ve got one bag full of blood so we’ll have some now, keep some for later since we can’t binge everything at once.” He stated and then walked off to put most of the bags into their fridge. Yunho followed his friend as well to help make a some cups for everyone to have. 

Jongho was shaking. He tried to calm down, he really did, but his whole frame was shaking with anger. How could someone have captured Seonghwa? Seonghwa was the most capable vampire he knew, granted he didn’t know all too many since he was still young, but he’d never imagined anyone being able to hurt Seonghwa. Knowing his coven leader was mortal shook him to the core. 

“Are you okay?” Mingi rushed over to the younger, wanting to pull him close, but his body was protesting and he ended up just stumbling next to the younger. 

Hongjoong looked up from his position on the couch and noticed the younger holding back tears. He was pale and looked frustrated and scared. The look didn’t suit the self assured Vampire one bit. Hongjoong could only imagine what a fledgeling like Jongho was going through. It had been far too long since he’d been that young. He could barely remember his early days. 

“Jongho-yah…” Hongjoong sat up and leaned closer, putting a reassuring hand on the young boys knee squeezing tightly, “It might seem like we’re not doing anything, but trust me. Tomorrow evening, once we’ve rested I will stop at nothing to get Yeosang and Seonghwa back.” 

Jongho nodded, chewing on his lip. He glanced over to Hongjoong and then to Mingi. 

Wooyoung scurried over as well putting an arm around the younger, “I’ll help as well. We’re going to find them and save them and get rid of all of those hunters.” He grinned. 

Jongho felt comforted by all of the people surrounding him, but it wasn’t enough. He was missing his coven mother, the affection and soft touches with which Seonghwa would calm him down, the oldest knowing just what to do when it came to Jongho and his anxieties. 

Eventually San and Yunho came back with the drinks and handed each vampire a cup. Everyone drank and enjoyed the blood, Jongho even drinking without a single complain this time around. 

“Yunho, you help Mingi up and into your room. You’ll share with San for tonight. Wooyoung and Jongho you share.” Hongjoong told the younger vampires before they all dispersed for the day.

Mingi hated how weak he was. His wounds weren’t healing properly, something which had gotten him through years of torture with his previous master. Yet now, when he truly needed his healing, because people were depending on him, he was weak and failing. 

Mingi collapsed into a large comfortable bed, hissing when the right side of his face brushed against the pillow. He didn’t care though, curling onto the comforter and drifting off before Yunho would even mutter a single word to Mingi. 

Yunho stayed and watched Mingi. The tall vampire curled into himself, a small ball, not even bothering with the blanket. He must have been exhausted, his body trying to heal itself, the wounds extensive all over. But Yunho saw some positives… his cuts were healing, the only thing which really seemed to still bother Mingi was his eye… but that wouldn’t ever heal. 

“You coming?” San asked Yunho, making the older jump and turn around, eyes wide. He couldn’t help and blush at being caught watching the other vampire sleep like some creep, but thankfully it was San and the younger had reached his ‘bullshit’ meter a long time ago and didn’t want to comment on his friend being a creepy stalker. 

“Yeah… we need to rest for tomorrow.” Yunho worried his lip between his teeth, thinking of Yeosang, spending the day in the hands of the hunters… or hiding from the hunters… or dead…. Yunho didn’t want to think of the last option, tears welling in his eyes, heart hammering at the mere idea of his best friend being gone. 

“Yunho… we’ll get them back. Yeosang wouldn’t just die like that.” San whispered, noticing his friend beginning to panic, “we’re going to make those hunters pay for everything they did.” 

Sleep was hard to come by. San always turned and tossed quite a bit as well as talked in his sleep, keeping Yunho awake for a long time. Yunho shared a room with Yeosang, the other a quiet sleeper who barely even snored. 

Eventually Yunho did managed to fall into a restless sleep, only to be woken far too soon; or at least what felt like far too soon. He blinked his bleary eyes open and saw Hongjoong hovering over him. 

The oldest also looked tired, like he hadn’t gotten enough rest, but Yunho could see the fading sunlight peeking in from behind the curtain and knew it was time to hatch a plan… They had to figure out where Yeosang and Seonhwa were. It wasn’t even certain yet that someone had captured them. 

Hongjoong moved on to wake up San and then left the room so the two could get ready and wake themselves up before everyone met back in the living room. 

Jongho helped Mingi down the stairs, the older looking refreshed, but his face was still swollen and red from what Yunho saw behind the bandages. They’d have to change them soon. 

Yunho quickly went to their first aid kit and got some new bandages, Yeosang having thankfully shown him a while ago how to care for injuries, even if it was rare for a vampire to get so gravely injured due to their quick healing abilities. 

“Let me change the bandages.” Yunho mumbled, taking Mingi by his hand and pulling him into the kitchen away from curious eyes. He didn’t want the others to gape at the hurt vampire while Yunho took care of his wound. 

He tugged the old bandages off, Mingi wincing. 

A gasp left the older vampires lips when he’d gotten the whole bandage off. It had been Yeosang who had taken care of Mingi before, so Yunho hadn’t seen the worst of it, but he couldn’t have imagined this… it was grotesque. 

An almost empty eye socket stared straight at Yunho. The older vampire could have puked at the bloody sight. It was red and dirty, a few cuts around the edges. It looked brutal, as though someone had shoved their weapon in and yanked, without a single care for the person they were harming. 

“What does it look like?” Mingi asked, unable to see for himself. His voice was shaking as he looked to Yunho. 

Yunho gulped, “I’d be lying if I said good.” He muttered. 

Mingi frowned, “They took a knife to me… stabbed it in without a care… Yeosang he… he took out what he could to keep it from infecting even worse.” Mingi winced when he told the other, “It hurts.” He added on quietly, almost a whisper. 

Yunho couldn’t imagine what the other had to go through. For a vampire to be in such pain it had to be excruciating and yet here Mingi was, standing and talking, wanting to go out and fight, when he could barely see properly and half his face was swollen. 

Mingi chuckled when the other didn’t reply, “Thankfully I killed the fucker… he thought I was easy after he stabbed me.” 

Yunho sighed and nodded, putting a soft tissue over the hurt area before wrapping half of Mingi’s face back up with a bandage. Sure, it didn’t look as nice as when Yeosang had done it, but it would do its job. As long as it didn’t get anymore dirt in it, everything would be fine. 

They got back to the living room where Wooyoung and Jongho had also joined the rest of them. 

Hongjoong was sitting on the armchair and looked at them all with a worried expression. 

“We can’t just run ahead like headless chickens. If the hunters do have them, then that’s what they want from us.” Hongjoong sighed, “But we can’t even tell yet where they are.” He paused, “So San said he can go and search some of our better hiding areas. He’s small and agile so he can move quickly. Yunho, I’ll ask you to go with Jongho and Wooyoung to search the area where we found Mingi last time since I feel they came from that direction, just for any signs that there are more hunters.” 

Mingi sat up waiting for his task, but he didn’t have high hopes. He knew he was useless. He could barely walk up and down the stairs without any trouble. He was completely and utterly useless. 

“I’m going to rush and try to contact some of the covens we are still somewhat close to. I might not be back for a day or two though, so please be careful. I’ll put Yunho in charge until I’m back.” Hongjoong added on, “If it turns out Yeosang and Seonghwa are in the hands of the hunters we will need all the help we can get.” 

“You can also try contacting Linmo… him and his coven are in one of the closer cities… they’re close to Seonghwa.” Jongho got up and wrote something down on a piece of paper, handing it to Hongjoong, “This is their contact. I bet they would help.” 

Hongjoong thanked the younger and then gave each of them a tight hug before flitting away, having to cover the most area. 

“You’ll be fine right?” Wooyoung asked San, following his closest friend with a worried expression, “please be fine.” 

San smiled, “Don’t worry. I’m faster than anyone and you know it. I just have a lot of ground to cover, but I slept well so I should be fine.” San grinned, “But you better not cause trouble… you and Jongho seem like a handful together.” 

“We’re not!” Jongho exclaimed having overheard the last part, “We are going to be on our best behaviour.” 

“Your best is still everyone else’s worst.” Mingi muttered. 

“You stay put.” Yunho told Mingi, “We’ll be back as quick as we can, but please don’t move. We are strongest in numbers so we can’t lose you as well right now.” Yunho told the younger vampire. 

“Got it.” Mingi muttered and crossed his arms like a petulant child, “Can’t believe Jongho gets to go but I don’t.” 

Jongho grinned and poked his friend before jumping and hiding behind Wooyoung, “That’s what you get for trying to be cool and getting yourself almost killed.” 

“Fuck you. You’re a baby.” Mingi growled and then closed his eyes, hoping the others would leave soon so he could wallow in self pity. His whole frame was shaking with the need to help, to do something, anything, but he knew that he couldn’t help at all. He was useless until he gained some of his usual strength back. 

Not long after San also flitted out, having to rush from hiding area to another, just trying to find some sign of Yeosang and Seonghwa. It would be tough though, knowing Yeosang and Seonghwa they would definitely hide as best as they could. 

“You’ll be fine right?” Yunho asked one last time kneeling before Mingi who was still sulking on the couch. 

“Yes. Now please leave.” Mingi growled. 

Before they could leave though, the tall vampire got off his seat, ignoring the oncoming dizzy spell, as he leapt forward and wrapped his arms around Jongho, “Please be safe.” He whispered so only the younger could hear. 

Jongho nodded against the other and reciprocated the embrace, “I will be.” 

Then they were gone… leaving Mingi back at their home alone and defenseless. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me your thoughts!   
> What did you dislike?   
> What did you like?   
> What can be done better? 
> 
> \^_^/ 
> 
> Sorry this one was a bit short >.<


	6. S E C H S

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so so so sorry for the wait. 
> 
> I have just been super uninspired for this fic, hence why this update sucks. 
> 
> Plus I got sick and I actually got super busy at my internship..... 
> 
> I hope this is alright and I'm sorry I'll try to update sooner next time.

Yunho thought he was way in over his head as he began to rush through the forest, closely followed by two young Vampires. Wooyoung and Jongho were practically soundless, flitting through the forest, almost as though they were floating. 

Not a crunch, not a single sound. Just them riding the wind and letting it take them to the place where Hongjoong had found Mingi earlier. Where the Vampire had gotten his eye gouged out and had killed the hunters who had assaulted him. 

Yunho hadn’t been there, but he could imagine the scene all too well, especially since he’d helped treat the wounds of the Vampire. Yunho knew they had to tread carefully. What those hunters had done was completely and utterly inhumane and shocking. 

“This is it?” Jongho asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Yunho nodded. Hongjoong had informed him of the location earlier and the young Vampire knew where he had to go to find the area where Mingi had been found. 

They’d run to the edge of the forest almost, close to one of the small villages. No wonder Hongjoong thought that they’d somehow come from this area. The village at the edge of the woods had always been quite hostile towards vampires. 

Sure, they didn’t know of their coven, but Yunho had seen the signs taped up in front of their houses, he’d even once witnessed a coven-less vampire get beheaded when he’d been out looking for something to eat and had strayed too close to the village. 

Yunho shuddered, making sure to move slowly and carefully. He looked towards the two youngest, making sure they were staying quiet and close to his side. He didn’t want to get caught. The mere idea of what could happen to them made Yunho sick to his stomach. 

“We need to be careful.” Yunho told the others, “This isn’t safe here.” 

Wooyoung and Jongho quickly realized just how dire this situation was. Neither tried any sort of funny business, merely following Yunho and making the least amount of noise possible. 

They made out dried blood, could tell that there had been death here. It was probably the exact spot where Mingi had sliced at his captors, killing them. There was a dark aura surrounding this specific area, Jongho feeling a tad colder than he’d been before. 

“I don’t feel good…” The youngest whispered, moving closer to Yunho, hand instinctively moving to grip at the others shirt. 

“You sense it too? The death and torture?” Yunho asked him. 

Not every vampire had a keen enough sense. Each vampire was different and had unique traits. Like San with his speed and Yeosang with his healing. It wasn’t a superpower, since all vampires exhibited these traits, but some just came easier or stronger to others. 

Jongho had strong senses. The young vampire could tell what had happened in specific places, merely due to the smell and the feel of it. This feeling of dread and sadness weighed down on all of them, but it had affected the younger far deeper, due to his strong senses. 

Yunho frowned, letting the youngest stay close, but still moving as carefully as the could. There were probably traps set up and he didn’t want to alert anyone to their presence. 

“Let’s check out the village from afar… maybe we can get some insight into everything.” Yunho nodded in a certain direction, then turned to Wooyoung and Jongho. The two nodded, determination setting in as they followed the older along, all three quiet and careful. 

Just as Yunho had suspected, the closer to the village they got, the more traps were hidden. They were easy to spot though, Yunho having dangled through these thousands of times before. What these villagers never seemed to have understood that regular humans could also be trapped and die in their ‘security’ systems. 

They didn’t dare get too close. Unfamiliar faces walking right out of the forest would only alert the locals to them and would cause an uproar. Seeing how close the whole incident had transpired to the village, only seemed to confirm Hongjoong’s suspicions. 

“Let’s watch a while, just to see if there are any hunters around… Jongho could you remember any faces?” Yunho asked the youngest. 

Jongho shrugged, worrying his lip between his teeth, “I don’t know… it was all a mess and I was freaking out and worried…” He trailed off, eyes moving to a person walking out of a small hut. 

It was a woman, small and frail looking. Bruises lined her exposed arms. Yunho could make out a scar on the side of her face, as well as cuts along her legs. She seemed sickly thin, the skin which wasn’t black and blue with bruises laced with a yellow tint. 

Wooyoung frowned at the sight. What had happened to her? Why would she be so hurt? He wished he could ask her. Wooyoung had always been curious and adventurous. He wished he could know more about this scared looking human. 

Yunho quickly reached out a hand, clutching onto Wooyoung, squeezing tightly against his neck, hoping the motion would settle the disturbed vampire down. Wooyoung was filled with compassion and Yunho knew that seeing a hurt person would make Wooyoung want to reach out. 

The village was tiny. The humans had settled in a large clearing right by a riverbank ages ago. There was a dead-end road which ended at the main building, probably like their mayor, or leader, settlement. They lived in primitive bungalows, maybe twenty or so in the whole city. The rest of the open space was filled with farmland, cows, horses and other animals grazing in fenced in areas. 

It was a quaint and small town. Only a few people owned cars and knew how to drive them, meaning that only a few people ever left their primitive land. Most people didn’t even know what a real city looked like, only able to imagine through others explanations. 

They lived completely separate from normal society… maybe that was why they were still extremely hostile towards any outsiders, especially vampires, killing them on the spot or torturing them as entertainment. 

The three vampires sat still as they watched the woman walk to a bed of flowers, kneeling down and digging around in it, smiling to herself, as though the work was calming her down. She even looked somewhat happy, taking care of her garden. 

Nobody else was around, the three vampires desperate to stay and see if there was any evidence of Yeosang and Seonghwa in their midst, but this woman wasn’t giving anything away and they couldn’t tell if the hunters had set up their base. 

“Maybe go somewhere else?” Wooyoung finally whispered, “To get a different look and angle?” 

Quietly all of them began to move, eyes never leaving that of the villager who was unsuspectingly working on her flower bed. Yunho swore he could even hear her hum. How someone could act so happy even though they were clearly abused baffled the vampire. 

Meanwhile, Mingi was lying on the couch, his whole face swelling even more. He hoped it would get better soon. He hadn’t felt this much pain in a few decades. Ever since he’d become a vampire. Normally he would heal quite quickly. 

It annoyed him more than anything to know that he was completely and utterly useless at the moment. No matter how much he desired to go out there he knew he would be doing nothing but bring trouble and possibly endanger everyone else. 

He was weak and slow, not to mention his sight was completely thrown off. He had trouble judging distances due to his lack of right eye. The worst part? It was obviously permanent. No vampire healing could bring back his eye. He’d have to learn to live as a disabled vampire… and who had ever heard of that? 

He was curled up in a thick quilt, pitying himself, hoping that San or Yunho and the others would come back soon. Hell, maybe Yeosang and Seonghwa-hyung had just gotten majorly lost and would show up out of nowhere… which was highly unlikely… 

Mingi was just sick of being alone. Being alone meat being left back with his own thoughts and his own demons. He kept imagining the worst, kept thinking of those hunters and what they’d done to him… he’d pissed them off probably by retaliating, so who knew what would happen to his friends. 

The lanky vampire curled closer in on himself, ignoring the pull on his wounds. At least he felt somewhat comforted this way, the thick quilt pushing down on his chest, enveloping him, almost like a warm cocoon. 

He was drifting off, almost going back to sleep when he heard something outside of the house. It didn’t sound like any of the vampires, didn’t seem like his friends and Mingi was on high alert right away. 

Sure, the small house was well hidden and deep in the woods, but a human with much determination could easily slash their way through the thick underbrush of the forest. 

Mingi heard twigs snapping outside, his ears sensitive due to the immense silence only moments before. Whoever it was, was still far enough away, but Mingi didn’t want them to find this place… he didn’t want the one sanctuary the other coven had to be ruined as well because of him. 

The tall vampire got off the couch, ignoring the dizzy spell which followed and rushed to the kitchen. He had to leave a note or something, just in case those humans came here and got him. Mingi was in no position to fight off a bunch of angry and ravenous hunters. He knew he was toast if they made it here. 

He quickly found a piece of paper and then closed his eyes, listening for anything suspicious. It sounded like a small group, maybe four or five, probably outliers from the hunting party. Scouts… 

He wrote as much down. He also added which direction they were coming from, hoping that it would somehow help with locating their base camp. That was the most important thing, finding out where these monsters were hiding so that the vampires could save their friends… if they were on time. 

The hunters were getting louder, clearly moving closer, but also completely unconcerned about being detected, as though they didn’t expect there to be vampires around. 

Mingi had to distract them and hope that the others would come back in time. 

He quickly scribbled onto the note what his plan was and then made sure to hide the notebook somewhere before rushing out the door. Seonghwa had taught him and Jongho a secret alphabet of sorts, one which only they understood. 

He hoped that Jongho would be able to decode what he’d written, putting all his faith in the younger vampire. 

Mingi hissed when he slipped into his ratty pair of shoes and then flitted off into the direction where he’d heard the hunters. He had some deja-vu flashback from the last time he’d run off on his own, but ignored the slight panic thumbing through him. 

He took a few deep breaths, just a few minutes into his adventure and he already felt out of breath and sick to his stomach. It was a mixture of fear, anxiety and his injuries all coming together, making him all the more lightheaded and uncomfortable. 

He knew he didn’t have the energy to flit for long, but he wanted to get as close to the hunters as he could before leading them on the wrong track. 

He knew that the others would kill him, especially Jongho. He’d promised to stay inside and stay safe, but that had been when he thought no hunters would ever find the hidden home of the other coven. He thought he would be safe until the others returned. 

Mingi became short of breath and had to stop moving at such a quick pace, but he’d gotten close enough to alert the hunters to him and lead them away. He knew that there was a high chance he’d not get away this time, since he wasn’t as strong nor as healthy as he’d been previously. He would most likely be captured or killed. 

He took a deep breath, moving as swiftly and quietly as he could, making sure to listen to where the hunters were. They were extremely loud and extremely close. 

The vampire snuck into one of the trees, making sure not move any of the branches too abruptly. He didn’t want to alert them to his presence right away. He wanted to observe first to see if they were truly headed towards the home. He didn’t want to cause a needless scene if they were going to move in a different direction. 

“Man… we found those disgusting beasts somewhere around here last time no?” Mingi had moved just in time into his hiding spot because quickly after four bulky men, and one tall woman were walking, talking loudly, carrying weapons of all sorts. 

Mingi shuddered at the sight of their weapons, especially the knife which the woman was holding. It looked eerily similar to the one that had been used to rip out his eye. 

He subconsciously moved his hand to his face, flinching when his finger made contact with the sensitive skin. He bit his tongue and stared at the small group of scouts. They were heavily weaponized, but their clothing was light and thin, as though they weren’t actually meant to fight. 

The vampire continued to follow the scouts for a while, watching as they moved closer and closer to the home of the other coven. Mingi knew he had to do something. He couldn’t put the others into even more danger. 

He quickly jumped down from his hiding spot, a few hundred meters away from the hunters and let out a loud hissing noise. Normally this would scare any human, but these guys were used to this type of behaviour. They knew how to deal with a Vampire. 

“Fuck!” One of them shouted and ran ahead, even though his friends were trying to pull him back, shouting something about not engaging. 

Mingi smirked and turned, rushing through the underbrush, his feet light in their steps, almost flying over the different rocks and plants. He was quick, quicker than those hunters, moving swiftly to lead them away from the others. 

A loud boom erupted from behind Mingi, the Vampire barely avoiding the bullet which whizzed by him. Thankfully these hunters didn’t have the best aim. He just had to hold out as long as possible and maybe they’d tire and he could escape. 

But it seemed more likely that Mingi would tire first. He could feel his chest constrict and his whole body shudder. He was too weak. He knew he was too weak, but he had to try. He had to hope that he’d have enough adrenaline pulsing through him to keep going. Knowing that he was protecting those who had taken them in was just what Mingi needed to keep him going. 

Another shot barely missed Mingi and the Vampire jumped up into one of the trees, hopping from branch to branch, hoping that the foliage would hide him more easily. He also hoped that the humans would be even worse shots if they had to aim upwards. 

He didn’t know how long he ran, but eventually his leg gave in and he missed a step, the branch he’d put his weight on snapping, causing the Vampire to topple to the ground with a loud screech. 

He got up, hissing when his leg erupted in pain. He didn’t have time to think about it though, because those hunters, who were terribly persistent, were gaining on him. This would heal quickly, since he’d inflicted it upon himself, rather than through a hunters weapon, Mingi was sure. 

Just as Mingi was about to move and run off once more, he was tackled to the ground by a large body, his arms pulled behind his back before he could do anything else and cuffed together. The cuffs burned into his skin, probably having been specifically made to hold vampires. 

His face was pushed into the dirty ground of the forest, making Mingi scream in pure agony as the bandages were dirtied, the open wound around his eye burning far worse than anything the young Vampire had ever experienced. 

“Fucking piece of shit.” The hunter above him growled, “You’re more of a little bitch than those other idiots we’ve caught.” Mingi couldn’t help the tears which rolled down his cheeks. So they did have Seonghwa and Yeosang… it wasd all his fault that they were hurt. He was to blame. If he was killed in that instant nothing would even matter, because he was at fault for everything. 

“Fuck don’t kill him yet. Boss wants all of them alive… since we’re looking for a specific one apparently.” One of the other hunters told his friend. 

Mingi was pulled up like a rag doll, the hunter who had tackled him holding the tip of a knife to Mingi’s back, “Don’t fucking try anything you piece of shit.” 

Mingi growled and tried to shake the other off, only to have the hutner slash at his arm, the wound burning. It also didn’t heal, much like Mingi figured. These guys were using anti-vampire weaponry. He just hoped he’d done enough to deter the hunters from going back into the forest. 

“They were three right? The ones we were hunting?” 

“Yeah… thank fuck we finally found them.” The one behind Mingi growled, “We lost way too many thanks to these little shits… at least boss pays well.” 

Mingi couldn’t help but wonder who their boss was. Who had been so desperate to find them to hire a whole army of hunters… for Mingi and his coven… who was this desperate? 

At least he could figure that Seonghwa and Yeosang were still alive, judging by the comments from the others. They’d wanted them alive. Their boss, whoever it was, had some big plan with them alive. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long....... 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed it though, even if it's meh... =/

**Author's Note:**

>  **COMMENTS** and **KUDOS**
> 
> I'm a comment/kudos whore :) 
> 
> Or send me ideas/suggestions/comments on [TUMBLR](https://ssg-crown.tumblr.com/)


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